LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A new traffic light on Versailles Road near New Circle goes live Monday, and it’s the result of two years of persistence from a family who lost their son at that intersection.
James Edward Reed Jr. died on Oct. 8, 2024, after being involved in a crash while on his motorcycle. His family, Joe and Bobbie Hodges, said a driver turning left onto southbound New Circle Road didn’t see their son on his motorcycle. James was a father, a brother and a son.
“Everything was just going so good for him, and then, you know, tragedy hit,” Joe Hodges said.
Two years of fighting for change
Just days after losing James, his older brother Matthew refused to let another life be lost at the intersection. The family spent two years emailing state and city transportation departments, calling for a new traffic light at the site of the crash…