LASALLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The intersection of South Outer Creek Road and South Dixie Highway is where 21-year-old Mariya Heinzerling lost her life and not a day goes by when her parents don’t think about how it could have been prevented.
"Mariya had three more months to go to get her nursing degree," said her father, Ken Heinzerling. "She touched so many hearts. She was a great student. She would do anything for anyone and now she's gone."
It's still hard for Heinzerling to talk about the accident that claimed his daughter's life.
"She literally couldn't see because of all of this," Heinzerling said. "Look at how high all the abutments are. These weeds were much higher that day."
On July 27, Mariya was stopped at a stop sign on South Outer Creek Road in Lasalle Township. She was trying to make a left onto South Dixie highway, but that’s when a pickup truck slammed into her Mercury Mariner. It pushed Mariya’s car more than 130 feet. She was airlifted to a Toledo hospital where she later died.
Her father does not blame the driver.
"It's nothing to do with him," Heinzerling said. "It's strictly about this."
Heinzerling said the 55 mph speed limit on Dixie Highway is too fast. He said the weeds near the road and the bridge signs create a blind spot that makes it almost impossible for drivers on South Outer creek to see, and for drivers on South Dixie Highway to see them.
Heinzerling suggested blocking off the intersection, installing a light, or reducing the speed limit. He's called township and county officials and state representatives. The family has held rallies.
Nothing will bring back Mariya, but fighting for changes could prevent this tragedy from happening again, he said.
"I don't want it to happen to someone else. This has ripped us apart," Heinzerling said. "You got to put dollar amount over your daughter's life. Is it worth? No, it's not. People need to wake up do something and slow down. I'm not stopping until they do it. If it takes me 100 years, I'm not stopping."
Local 4 contacted the Michigan Department of Transportation, and a spokeswoman said the department is ordering an official signal study for that location. Depending on the data they get back, safety changes could be made.