Clark Atlanta University students are demanding a four-way stop or speed bumps at Hank Aaron Drive and Glen Street SE after a crash killed 21-year-old classmate Morgan Gamble. Students have gathered nearly 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for the changes, and they say the city needs to act before anyone else gets hurt.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, students requested a four-way stop or speed bumps at the intersection, saying the current setup leaves too much room for tragedy to repeat itself. The intersection currently has stop signs for northbound and southbound traffic but lacks any stopping control for vehicles traveling eastbound and westbound, the station reported. Drivers turning left there also face restricted visibility of oncoming traffic, creating what the report described as hazardous conditions for both drivers and pedestrians.
Clark Atlanta University student Kaleb Motley told FOX 5 he would like to see a four-way stop installed, though he said he did not think a full traffic light was necessary since another traffic stop sits nearby. He added that either a four-way stop or speed bumps could help protect pedestrians crossing through the area. For Motley, the petition drive is simple: it is about safety, he said, and student organizers plan to keep gathering signatures and promoting the petition well beyond Atlanta, nationwide.
What Happened at the Intersection
CBS News Atlanta reported that officers responded around 11:30 p.m. to Hank Aaron Drive and Glen Street, where they found Gamble with critical injuries; she was taken to a hospital and later died, according to the outlet's report, which can be viewed via CBS News Atlanta. The dossier contains conflicting dates for when the fatal crash took place: the FOX 5 report ties Gamble's death to October 11, while a separate release from the Atlanta Police Department says officers responded to the fatality at that same intersection on October 13 at around 11:30 p.m.
Per the Atlanta Police Department's account, a preliminary investigation indicates the other driver, identified as Nikolai Dunford, was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed when he struck Gamble, who was traveling westbound. The department said Dunford was arrested at the scene and charged with speeding, reckless driving and homicide by vehicle in the first degree. Atlanta police described the information as preliminary and said the investigation continues.
City Says It Needs More Time
Students have taken their case directly to the city, but the Atlanta Department of Transportation said it needed more time to respond to the intersection requests, according to the FOX 5 report.
A Pattern Playing Out Across Metro Atlanta
The push mirrors another recent case in the metro area. WSB Radio reported that Benjamin Reiser, a 16-year-old Mount Vernon High School student, died in September when his motorcycle collided with an SUV at Roswell Road and Laurel Forest Circle. His father, Scott Reiser, has collected thousands of petition signatures calling for changes, including making the exit from Laurel Forest Circle onto Roswell Road right-turn-only, and the Atlanta Fatal Crash Review Commission has been weighing options such as a traffic signal, a new median and additional signage for that location, per WSB Radio. That commission was established in 2023 as part of Atlanta's Vision Zero initiative, the station noted.
Citywide, traffic deaths have actually been trending down: Atlanta recorded 59 traffic fatalities in 2024, a 25% decline from the previous year and more than a 40% drop from a 2021 peak, WSB Radio reported. But other pockets of the city tell a different story. A separate CBS News Atlanta report found Midtown logged roughly 2,197 reported crashes in 2025, its highest total since before the pandemic, averaging about six crashes a day with at least one resulting in injury. Crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders climbed to 5.3% of Midtown incidents last year, up from 3.2% in 2021, and nearly 70% of those crashes caused injuries, according to the outlet.
That same Midtown report found that targeted fixes can work: signal upgrades at Spring Street and 4th Street have eliminated certain angle crashes in recent years, CBS News Atlanta reported, and new traffic signals, protected bike lanes and shorter crossing distances have reduced or eliminated some other crash types elsewhere in the district. The Atlanta Department of Transportation's own traffic-calming process involves site assessments and 24-hour speed and volume data before changes are made, per the department's published guidance.
Students Say They Won't Stop
For now, Clark Atlanta students are leaning on the petition and on public pressure to keep the issue in front of city officials. Motley said organizers plan to keep gathering signatures and pushing the petition nationwide, framing the effort not as politics but as a basic safety demand born from the loss of a classmate.
