Marietta High School student Liv Teverino tragically passed away in a car accident on Sept. 18. This incident rattled the community and is all the more devastating because of how close the accident site was to the school. Teverino had steered off-course on Burnt Hickory Road, a path that most Marietta residents are familiar with. The road is a less traffic-dense route to Barrett Parkway but also poses major safety risks to its travelers.
This accident isn’t the first to happen on Burnt Hickory Road. Decade-old records detail wrecks happening quite frequently. In 2011, a man died after crashing into a tree after it had rained. In 2015, there was a traffic crash severe enough to cause power lines to fall down. During September 2023, two lives were claimed in car collisions on the same path.
The road itself is long, windy, and surrounded by forestry. Its downhill path gives drivers a bit of difficulty seeing ahead. With no streetlights, it is extremely dark to drive on at night. Local students say that the road is dangerous.
“I personally believe that the road is a scary place to be in, because you can never expect others to be doing the correct thing. My experience has luckily been great with no accidents or anything, but I have had close calls for sure,” said Alex Dunn, a senior at Marietta High School.
Though many students agree that the road is a challenge to drive on, representatives of the city claim that a section of the road is not as dangerous as it is said to be.
“At this time, our Public Works Department has not received any complaints with this section of road. Prior to this accident, there have only been about five accidents in the past 10 years along this section of road with no serious injuries or fatalities,” said Lindsey Wiles, communications manager of Marietta.
Two weeks after the crash, the city of Marietta had still received no complaints about safety of the road itself. It remains unchanged, with the exception of a memorial at the site of Teverino’s accident.
“I know many kids at Marietta [High School] who drive on that street constantly, and I think it’s important that they add guardrails and streetlights. I think for now, it’s best for students to be extra careful, drive safely, and remember to pay attention,” said Shane Roach, senior at Marietta High School.
