OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — Flipped cars. Broken bones. Lawns torn and bushes annihilated. Horseshoe Circle has in recent years become a popular destination for illegal racers, and county government has had enough.
Residents of Horseshoe Circle came before the board of supervisors on Monday to plead their case, spelling out how consistent reckless driving has cost them thousands of dollars and endangered their families.
Located just outside of Starkville’s borders, the roughly mile-long street has already been the focus of increased signage and enhanced patrols from the sheriff’s office. Those measures, however, haven’t stopped the flow of new accidents, and residents are now asking that the county put in physical speedbumps.
“I’ve been living there since 2017 and have had several accidents in my yard,” said Mattie Sanders, who lives on that street. “I’ve had two cars hit. And I’d like someone to come look at that road, because it’s very off level and we do have a lot of young people that come around that corner racing, lose control, flip, and roll into our yards tearing them up.”
Sanders said that speed bumps were worth the inconvenience, noting that there are children that play in the area.
“I had young children at the time,” she said. “They’re grown up now, but they’d be out playing in the yard as cars come through. As they hit that curve and that stretch, it’s open field for a race. We need speed bumps or something to limit the speed out there.”
Another resident, Natalie White, thanked District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver for listening to resident complaints and providing some security measures, but she said more are needed.
“I am very concerned about the continuous car wrecks on Horseshoe Circle that always result in neighbors having damage to their cars, fences, mailboxes and yard,” White said. “Even if we sue the person we end up still paying the cost due to not receiving all of the funds. That’s what happened in my case, with a drunk driver running his truck into my yard.”
The board unanimously approved ordering a set of two-inch-tall rubber rumble strips to be installed along Horseshoe Circle. The strips aim to dissuade speeding with less risk of damage to cars or uncontrolled movement than conventional speed bumps.
Road Manager Victor Collins said this kind of rumble strip typically takes three weeks to arrive, with some already installed on New Hope Church Road. Carver told The Dispatch on Thursday that those noticeably decreased the amount of speeding complaints he got from residents there.
Collins said that the Public Works Department had actually resurfaced Horseshoe Circle recently, possibly contributing to higher speeds. Workers had also experienced firsthand how some people in the area drive recklessly.
“We were out there working, and let me tell you, they’ll run over you if you aren’t careful,” he said. “They don’t care anything about you being out there or holding a sign, they just come down through there and curse you out if you get in the way. It’s rough out there, I know for a fact it is.”
Carver said he’s been getting complaints about reckless driving on Horseshoe Circle since he took office in 2023. He hopes the rumble strips will be enough to dissuade racers and is not sure what more the county could do if they prove ineffective. Deputies from the sheriff’s office are already diverting time and resources to increase patrols in the area.
“It’s typically not the people living in that area that are speeding, it’s people that are coming in transient and disregard the residential setting,” Carver said. “… I just wish people would be cognizant of their surroundings and understand that people are there with their children and dogs. It’s a nice community, people shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their children from somebody that could get manslaughter for a kid chasing a ball on the road.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
