ST. LOUIS — In February, a Chicago mom and her daughter were visiting St. Louis when police say a speeding driver sideswiped another car and then hit the two, killing them.
Weeks later, Cedric Dixon was sentenced to 10 years in prison for speeding down Grand and causing a car crash that killed four people last year.
"It will consist of a yard sign campaign. It will consist of billboards in our four challenged neighborhoods where speeding is an issue," said James Clark, the Vice-President of Division of Public Safety for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Now, the Urban League and Regional Business Council are shifting "Slow Down St. Louis" into high gear.
The new public safety campaign's goal is to raise awareness about reckless driving, speeding and the alarming rise in traffic-related incidents and fatalities in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
"The reckless driving as you've heard has gotten out of control in St. Louis City and County. It's truly ridiculous out there. We see it every day," said Lt. Colonel Kenneth Gregory with the St. Louis County Police Department.
Organizers said according to data from the Eastway Gateway Coordinating Council, "in the St. Louis region alone in 2021, speeding drivers accounted for 107 fatalities."
"St. Louis is definitely a crisis for speeding," said Donald Nolan.
Nolan lost his three-year-old sister to a speeding driver more than 30 years ago.
"I was just nine at the time. Today, we all can still feel the impact, so I just hope everybody would just come together and slow down," said Nolan during Thursday's news conference.
"I'm looking to take every step possible to hold accountable the drivers who are putting lives at risk," said 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer.
The "Slow Down St. Louis" yard signs and billboards should start popping up in the city and county next week.