After Ponder's death on U.S. 64 at night, some citizens say more lights are needed
When a story was published about Doris "Ann" Ponder, 72, being struck and killed by a vehicle while she was attempting to cross U.S. 64 about a mile from North Henderson High School on the night of Sept. 26, several people reached out to the Times-News saying more lighting is needed on the busy road.
Madison Ponder, one of Doris Ponder's three granddaughters, called her grandmother "an absolute blessing to the family."
"She always made sure us three grandkids had food and always made sure we had a place to rest our heads. She always made sure I had my dad by my side because she knew that he was the one thing I needed," Madison Ponder said.
Doris Ponder died close to the Citgo on U.S. 64, which is less than a mile from North Henderson High School. No charges have been filed in the accident. According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Doris Ponder was attempting to cross the four-lane highway and it was dark.
Someone you may have seen
Local social worker Joy Waldrop said she had seen Mrs. Ponder several times along U.S. 64, and most of the time she was standing at a red light or intersection with a sign that read, "Please help." She said she's sure many people who drive on 64 had seen her before.
"I first saw her in the summer. She was attempting to cross U.S. 64 at the light near Ebenezer Baptist. It was concerning because she looked so frail. ... It was almost dark as she tried to cross, and as you know that is a very busy intersection," Waldrop told the Times-News on Sept. 27.
More: Hendersonville woman struck, killed while trying to cross four-lane road
Waldrop said she saw her again a few days later in the afternoon standing at the red light on U.S. 64 near Golden Corral and called the Hendersonville Police Department and DSS to try to get her help.
"It was in the 90s that day. She was leaning up against a light pole. She looked ancient — shrunken, emaciated, white-haired, with a bowed back, looking like she might fall over any minute," Waldrop said.
Waldrop saw Ponder again in August, this time at the entrance to the Ingles, and Ponder was once again holding the "Please help" sign.
"I stopped and approached her. She gave me her name and said she was living in a tent down the road next to the Spanish church. She could not articulate what kind of help she needed and seemed pretty confused; her speech was discursive, so it was hard to get much information from her," Waldrop said. "I again called the Hendersonville City Police, who advised that they would send an officer out but 'if she doesn’t want our help there is nothing we can do as it isn’t illegal.' People were stopping as they exited the Ingles parking lot and handed her money, praying for her, etc. I made another report to DSS as I felt she was possibly not competent, but once again I got a letter advising they had screened out my complaint, meaning no investigation at all."
While talking with Ponder, Waldrop learned that Ponder was a widow living on her own and that her daughter had died at Elizabeth House in the spring.
"I believe that there should be something that a city such as Hendersonville can do on behalf of homeless elderly people. As a social worker myself, I know that there are programs that cities can implement with federal and other grants to address problems of homelessness and outreach that can be done with homeless and/or elderly people. Surely there is something that we can do that would prevent a homeless elderly person from meeting their end on a highway," Waldrop said.
More: N. Henderson High senior killed, others injured in head-on accident: NC Highway Patrol
More lighting needed?
Several of the people who reached out to the Times-News following Ponder's death said that there needs to be better lighting along U.S. 64, especially the stretch leading up to Fruitland Road at the entrance of North Henderson High School.
Britney Berger works at the Citgo station near where Ponder's incident happened, and it brought back painful memories.
"I lost my baby sister on Highway 64 a few years ago right past the Citgo going to North," she told the Times-News on Sept. 27. "Why doesn’t the county or someone put up street lights? I work at the Citgo and see a lot of people walking from all the apartment complexes. It’s very dark in the mornings and very dark at night. Why no street lights on that section of 64?"
Monica Simpson told the Times-News on Sept. 27 that her husband, parents and friends saw Ponder walking on the road before she got hit.
"They all said she was going to get hit. She was wearing dark colors and wondering on the dark highway," Simpson said. "Any of us could have hit her. If anything, if we could get better lighting on 64 on that part of the road, it would help tremendously."
Projects in the works
David Uchiyama, the spokesperson for the mountain region of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said the NCDOT recently awarded a contract for pedestrian improvements at five intersections along U.S. 64.
"N.C. Department of Transportation officials investigate every fatality on state-maintained roads. The information obtained in each report is analyzed and helps transportation experts plan, design and construct projects that help people walk, bike and drive to their destinations," he told the Times-News on Oct. 3.
More: NCDOT: 'COVID' to blame for 270% N. Highland Lake Road project cost increase
"The safety-improvement project includes construction of a crosswalk, pedestrian signals and ADA-compliant curb ramps at the intersection of U.S. 64 and Fruitland Road. It also includes a new sidewalk heading North on Fruitland Road to connect existing infrastructure," he said.
Uchiyama said pedestrian improvements will also be installed at the following locations as part of the contract: U.S. 64 East at Howard Gap Road, U.S. 64 West at Howard Gap Road, Thompson Street at Freeman Street and also Orr’s Camp Road at Carolina Avenue.
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: After Ponder's death, some say more lighting is needed on U.S. 64
