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Dallas traffic death toll surpasses 2023 as leaders press for change on city’s deadliest street

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Dallas traffic death toll surpasses 2023 as leaders press for change on city’s deadliest street


The traffic death toll in Dallas has already surpassed last year’s total, with more than two weeks left in 2024, according to an analysis of Texas Department of Transportation data by NBC 5 Investigates.

So far this year, 207 people have died in crashes on Dallas streets, compared to 205 in 2023.

On Friday, city and state leaders held a news conference to update plans to address safety concerns on the city’s deadliest roadway: Loop 12. For another year, Loop 12 earned that unwanted title with 21 fatal crashes this year alone.

“Five years, my friends. Citywide, nearly 500 accidents involving serious injury have taken place on Loop 12,” said State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) at a news conference at Dallas City Hall.

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NBC 5 News

L-R: Dallas interim Chief of Police Michael Igo, Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold and Texas Sen. Royce West.

West stepped forward to address the concerns on Loop 12 earlier this year, on the heels of an NBC 5 investigation that identified systemic dangers on the loop. Dangers include high speeds, an outdated roadway design, and a lack of safe places for pedestrians to cross the street.

In one spot near Loop 12 and Bonnie View Road, NBC 5 Investigates found five pedestrians had died in less than a year. The death toll at that location has since increased to seven.

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“The information that was provided by your station helped us focus with laser certainty on trying to get something done and bringing together the city, the state,” West said in an interview with NBC 5 Investigates.

In the wake of NBC 5’s reporting, West pulled together TxDOT, the City of Dallas and the North Texas Central Council of Governments. They have pledged to install more than a dozen new protected pedestrian crossings on Loop 12 over the next 18 months.

The city and state also lowered the speed limit on the loop and installed bold new speed signs, even speed limit numbers painted on the pavement. They have also promised to re-examine the road’s design to help address the high speeds.

Dallas police joined West at Friday’s news conference. Interim Chief of Police Michael Igo revealed the city is using new software to identify stretches of road where speeds are too high.

Dallas interim Chief of Police Michael Igo.


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NBC 5 News

Dallas interim Chief of Police Michael Igo.

“It’s based on GPS tracking and it monitors those vehicles that are going through those areas,” said Igo.

When the software flags a speed danger zone, police can deploy additional officers to that location to conduct speed patrols.

It’s really given us some good feedback on areas we needed to address,” Igo said.

Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn Arnold said Friday that she is seeking help from other regional law enforcement agencies to assist Dallas police with controlling speeds on Loop 12. 

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“We are reaching out to all law enforcement and public safety partners to help us in this corridor,” Arnold said.

Meanwhile, the city is also pleading with drivers to help reduce speeds and deaths.

Igo said drivers would notice an increased speed enforcement presence on Loop 12, and he urged people to call 911 to report extreme speeds and erratic driving.

”I’m encouraging everybody to slow down because you will see police officers on that stretch of the road,” Igo said. 

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Dallas, TX

Dallas weather: Storms return this week with large hail and tornado threat

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Dallas weather: Storms return this week with large hail and tornado threat


North Texans will enjoy a brief break today before the next weather system arrives, bringing multiple rounds of storms. A warmup is on the way, with temperatures climbing back into the mid-80s by the weekend.

Monday Forecast

Following a few morning showers in the eastern counties, expect a warm and breezy Monday. High temperatures will climb into the low 80s under partly cloudy skies.

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Tuesday Forecast

As an upper-level low-pressure system moves to the west, scattered storms will move into the region Tuesday afternoon. Some of these storms could become severe, with the primary threats being large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.

Simultaneously, storms are expected to develop ahead of a dryline to the west. While the tornado threat remains low in this area, any storms that form could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts. 

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7-Day Forecast

Those overnight storms should push out to the east by Wednesday morning, but don’t put the umbrella away just yet. As the main weather system moves directly over us Wednesday afternoon, we’ll likely see another round of scattered storms that could still bring with some hail. Once everything finally clears out Wednesday evening, we can look forward to some drier, much more comfortable air moving back into the area.

Thursday will be noticeably cooler, with high temperatures settling in the mid-60s. However, sunshine and a quick warmup are expected by the weekend. Temperatures will rebound into the 80s on Friday and Saturday.

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The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.

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Dallas, TX

Off-duty Dallas officer shoots at suspects allegedly trying to steal his vehicle in Addison, police say

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Off-duty Dallas officer shoots at suspects allegedly trying to steal his vehicle in Addison, police say



An off-duty Dallas police officer shot at a group of people allegedly trying to steal his personal vehicle on Sunday afternoon in Addison, officials said. 

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According to the Addison Police Department, around 2:15 p.m., the off-duty Dallas officer saw a group of people trying to steal his vehicle in a parking lot at 5000 Belt Line Road. He confronted the suspects, “and during the encounter, fired a weapon at the suspects’ vehicle.”

The suspects fled in their vehicle, Addison police said, and it is unknown if any suspects were hit by gunfire.

The investigation is ongoing.



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Dallas, TX

Dallas dropped the ball on the Wings’ practice facility

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Dallas dropped the ball on the Wings’ practice facility


The Dallas Wings can’t seem to get a win, at least when it comes to the team’s training facility and arena. Not only is its practice facility in west Oak Cliff, approved over the summer and fast-tracked to open ahead of the team’s spring season, now running behind schedule, it is also somehow over budget.

Dallas had already committed $55 million for the team’s practice facility, a price tag we were uncomfortable with from the beginning. At the time, city staff said that was the amount needed to build a training facility with the amenities and infrastructure required for a WNBA team. The city argued there were few viable alternative locations for the practice facility after delays with the convention center, and they were running out of time. Enter the $55 million facility at Joey Georgusis Park.

But now the project needs an additional $27 million to cross the finish line. How did costs increase so much in just a few months? And how did a project that was expedited to meet the team’s deadline end up falling behind and over budget?

City staff attribute the holdup to missed deadlines by the project management firm McKissack and McKissack and new requirements from the WNBA that weren’t part of the original scope. McKissack and McKissack didn’t respond to multiple messages seeking comment for this editorial. Whatever the company’s missteps, the city is ultimately responsible for conducting due diligence and making sure the project stays on track, and it couldn’t deliver what it promised.

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Now the city wants the Wings to take over. The city would cap its total contributions at $57 million, which includes $653,000 in delay reimbursements. The Wings would then cover the remaining costs, at least $27 million, needed to finish the practice facility and agree not to sue Dallas for the delays.

Some City Council members have suggested that Dallas should consider the American Airlines Center for the Wings’ practice facility and arena. But even though the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, who currently play at the AAC, are looking to leave, their lease agreements run through 2031. That doesn’t do much for the Wings who need a practice facility now.

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Maybe all of this could have been avoided if the city had more seriously considered existing facilities that could have accommodated the Wings. That’s not to say the team doesn’t deserve a training space that will meet their needs, but repurposing an existing space instead of starting from the ground up might have saved both time and money.

This debacle is frustrating for the Wings, and it also isn’t a good look for the city. If Dallas can’t figure out how to deliver a practice facility that it promised to one of its professional sports teams, how can it hope to attract more businesses and major investments? Anyone watching this unfold would have good reason to question the city’s ability to deliver.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.

If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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