Man fights to install a red light at Montgomery County intersection where his mom was killed
MAGNOLIA, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman named Beverly Cook died from her injuries sustained after a car accident at the intersection at Spur 149 and FM 149 in Magnolia. And her son is acting to ensure a traffic light is installed to keep the area safe.
"She was the director of a home healthcare company. She was recovering from open heart surgery since February and was just getting released to do all of the things that she could do in life again," Marcus Cook, Beverly's son, said.
Cook had noticed how busy that intersection had become as the Woodlands area expanded, and he wanted to make sure his mom's death led to lasting change.
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Cook reached out to Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley to make that happen.
Through the commissioner, Cook discovered 19 reported accidents at that location from January 2020 through July 2022.
His mom's accident was the only fatal one, and he wanted it to stay that way.
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"When I came to stare at the flags where Mom's accident happened and just gather myself, I realized we need a light here," Cook said.
He worked with Riley, BNSF Railway, and the Texas Department of Transportation to get a light at the intersection.
Because each department has to work together, constructing a light would usually take a long time, but Cook made it happen swiftly.
By the end of 2022, the light is expected to be completed. Cook says that it is a testament to the woman who raised him.
"I know she's looking down and going, 'of course there's going to be a light there quicker than normal because my son's on it, and I know he isn't going to stop until it's done,'" Cook said. "That's who she raised."
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