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'A shame that nothing's ever been done about it' | People in western Travis County call for safety improvements after deadly crash in Jonestown

A head-on collision at Pecan Drive and FM 1431 in Jonestown claimed the lives of two people on Saturday, prompting calls to improve driver safety in the area.

JONESTOWN, Texas — People in western Travis County want to see safety improvements to the winding roads near Lake Travis, after a deadly crash on Pecan Drive and FM 1431 in Jonestown claimed the lives of two people on Saturday.

At Texas Paintball in Jonestown, general manager Chad Widener says he has heard a lot of complaints about the intersection where the crash happened. 

"It happens very frequently. A lot of families coming out to play here getting crashes. A lot of employees get rear ended constantly," Widener said. "So if you're heading towards Lago Vista, going down that hill, people coming down from the opposite way, it's hard to see. There's not a whole lot of room you know to see that turn coming towards you. It's just straight downhill."

Jake Friedman is a northwest Austin resident and frequent customer at Texas Paintball. 

"I've been coming here for a long time. And when my parents used to drive me, they used to always talk about how they didn't like that corner," Friedman said. "I think it's a blind spot on both sides because it's super short. It's in the middle of a little valley, almost with two hills on each side. And because of that, I think the people coming towards you don't have much time to react."

After the deadly crash, Friedman said he'd like to see changes in the area. 

"I think probably making a turning lane would probably be really good," Friedman said. "I don't think a light would be very helpful because it's such a small area and you wouldn't be able to see the light."

If no changes are made to the intersection, Widener worries about how it could affect the futures of the people at Texas Paintball. 

"The two fatalities speak for themselves. I mean people losing their lives, just simply driving a simple country road is ridiculous," Widener said. "I mean it's not the first and it definitely won't be the last if it stays the way it is. It's a shame that nothing's ever been done about it. And I think it's time for that to happen."

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