EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — Several viewers recently reached out to News5 about speeding and unsafe driving on Baptist Road, located east of I-25 in northern El Paso County.
One of the viewers is Dan O’Reilly. He says he has lived near Baptist Road and Longmeadow Lane for more than 20 years. He recalls a quieter neighborhood when he moved in February 2000.
“It was very quiet…,” said O’Reilly.
Now, he says, speeding has become a serious issue.
“They need better enforcement. I don’t care who it is. Over the last several years, people have just gone nuts with traffic. They’re bad drivers,” said O'Reilly.
He also expressed concerns about blind spots along the road.
“There are blind corners here. If you’re going by really fast, there are times when you’re not going to know somebody is in front of you,” he added.
The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) confirms multiple agencies share coverage of Baptist Road, including themselves, the Monument Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. CSP troopers handle most crash investigations along this stretch.
Looking at crash data from CSP between I-25 and Tari Drive, there have been fewer than 10 crashes each year since 2021. Some of these incidents were linked to excessive speed.
A breakdown of those numbers is below:
- 2021
- five property damage crashes
- 2022
- five property damage crashes
- one minor injury crash
- one serious injury crash
- 2023
- three property damage crashes
- 2024
- six property damage crashes
- one minor injury crash
- 2025
- four property damage crashes
- one fatal crash
This year, as of May 20, there have been three property damage crashes and one serious injury crash.
“Somebody could get killed or hurt. An accident is an accident," said O'Reilly.
CSP says Baptist Road is part of its regular patrol area, and the agency plans to increase enforcement and patrol operations.
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