RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – A Richmond neighborhood community is banding together to bring a community garden back to life after a driver crashed into it, causing thousands in damage.
According to the Richmond Police Department, a driver lost control of their car shortly after midnight on Sept. 25th and ran into the Jefferson Avenue Community Garden, which has been a staple in the Union Hill community for the past 20 years.
“I always like to see what vegetables were coming on, and it’s just helped me mark the seasons,” said Sarah Mason, who lives near the garden.
Mason shared with 8News what she heard the night the crashed happened.
“I just heard a really loud crashing noise — and it did sound like someone ran into something,” said Mason.
The driver was issued a summons for driving with faulty brakes. Representatives from the community garden say the crash created nearly $2,000 in damages — and sparked conversation between neighbors about drivers in the area.
“This is the kind of thing you see all around here,” said neighbor Steve Crumley. “People just don’t pay any attention to all the stop signs — and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the police do anything about it.”
Mason added that the layout of the roads in the neighborhood may be playing a role in encouraging dangerous driving habits.
“People go way too fast on this road and they also are confused by the turn circles because some of them are sort of unclear if they’re a turn circle or not,” said Mason. “So, you hear a lot of beeps when you live around here.”
Signs reading “Help us rebuild this public space” are now posted around the community garden and Stacey Moulds, the president of the organization that runs the garden, told 8News restoration efforts are running smoothly — thanks to an outpouring of support from the community.
