A new Adopt-a-Roadway program is hopefully coming to Bell County at the beginning of next week and it's all thanks to a big sister trying to make something positive out of her brother's death.
On November 17th, 2016, a car crossed over the line on Sparta Road and the head on collision resulted in the death of both drivers.
"I got the call that there had been a bad accident on Sparta Road and that Mikey was involved. We didn't know yet the outcome... and you get the gut feeling that something's wrong," April Metcalf, founder of Adopt-A-Roadway in Bell County, said.
Unfortunately, her gut feeling was right. Her younger brother, Mikey, had crossed over the line driving down Sparta Road and hit another car head on.
Michael Renick and the 75-year-old woman he hit, died from the accident on November 17, 2016.
"It was devastating not only for the fact that we lost Mikey but also the fact that because of the accident someone else lost a loved one as well," Metcalf added.
Metcalf says her first thought was about her brother's wife and three young kids, whom now would be without a husband and father.
"I've got texts from him that specifically talk about how at the end of the day if you don't take care of your family, and you don't love your family... then what do you have?" Metcalf said.
She took her younger brother's words to heart... and decided to start Adopt-A-Roadway in Bell County with the help of Commissioner Russell Schneider.
"If we are able to take Mikey's children and teach them that giving back to the community and doing something instead of acting out and focusing on the negative, and it has some sort of positive influence on them... I mean, that's... there's not even a price you could put on that," Metcalf added.
The first adopted road under the new program will be Sparta Road by Mikey's family.
"We focus on the positive, and focus on teaching our kids to get out and take care of our community because our community is our family... If I could tell him one last thing, I would tell him... We're okay. We're family, and family is strong... and no matter what we've got our family," Metcalf said.
Metcalf said they plan to have one side of Sparta Road be in memory of Mikey and the other side in memory of the elderly woman who also lost her life in the tragic accident.
The Bell County Commissioners Court will vote on the program Monday which Commissioner Russell Schneider referred to as a "no brainer."
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