Aiken neighbors seek answers after truck hits brick wall again

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The brick wall on Whiskey Road took another hit Tuesday afternoon.

This comes almost three months after two hits back in November. It’s been hit at least five times since last July. Even though there are flashing lights and, at one point, an inflatable dragon. It just keeps happening.

So where does the city go from here?

A sign and flashing light used to stand tall, warning drivers to slow down, but clearly, it wasn’t enough.

Neighbors here want answers, but there’s no simple solution, as Whiskey Road is the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s responsibility.

They tell us they are working with city leaders to fix the problem, but neighbors are starting to get impatient.

What seems like any normal road to drive on is someone’s front yard.

“We’re what, 50 yards across there. That’s our white gate,” said Phil Saffer.

A gate tall enough to hide Shaffer’s house from the hustle and bustle of Whiskey Road.

“I was kind of surprised that it happened again. Surprise it that happened so soon after the last one,” he said. “Looked out the window and saw the car that was through the wall again.”

Again and again, he’s watched the bricks crumble down.

“To us, it’s just kind of an annoyance,” said Saffer.

It’s enough to catch the attention of city leaders.

City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said: “If one is not familiar with the area, driving or driving too fast or driving distracted or impaired can pose a problem.”

A problem without a clear solution.

“That’s yet to be determined because there’s a number of alternatives,” he said.

Something that is now in the hands of the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and until a decision is made, neighbors stand by and watch.

“Something physical needs to be done. It’s gonna keep happening until they put some barriers up,” said Saffer.

Neighbors say they’ve been reaching out to lawmakers and trying to find any avenue to get a permanent fix. Right now, we don’t know what that looks like or even a timeline until a decision is made for what’s next on Whiskey Road.

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