Stone Oak residents say they warned city of speeding months before fatal crash

SAN ANTONIO — Traffic continues to move through the intersection of Hardy Oak Boulevard and Wilderness Oak Boulevard, but residents in San Antonio’s Stone Oak area say speeding has turned the roadway into a safety hazard — and that they raised concerns with the city months before a fatal crash earlier this month.

Some residents said vehicles regularly travel at dangerous speeds. Alejandro Villarreal said speeding has been a persistent problem in the area.

“You can talk to anybody on Huebner. They will tell you the same thing. It’s a racetrack over there. Stone Parkway. It’s a racetrack too. There is a problem. It needs to be solved,” Villarreal said.

Villarreal said the speeding is dangerous for families and has been getting worse.

“You only need one person to make a tragedy,” he said.

Earlier this month, Valerie Ann Keeny was trying to turn onto Hardy Oak when police said a 2020 Ford Explorer hit her SUV. Keeny died at the scene. According to the arrest affidavit, crash data from the Explorer showed it was traveling 87 mph five seconds before impact. The speed limit in the area is 40 mph.

Residents said they had already taken speeding concerns to the city.

“If we had taken care of it before, this problem might not occur,” one resident said.

A city analysis found 63 crashes along Wilderness Oak between January 2023 and May 2026.

Jorge Maldonado said he wants changes that slow drivers down.

“I would love them to put at least some speed reduction, not like bumps, but the little bumps before each subdivision,” Maldonado said.

San Antonio police said the North SAFFE Unit is aware of the ongoing traffic issue along Hardy Oak and conducted a traffic enforcement operation that resulted in 24 traffic stops. Police also said officers have used a light detection and ranging speed enforcement tool to take action.

Residents said they appreciate the city’s efforts, but some said it has not changed driving habits.

“They know there is a problem, and they’re willing to fix it. We need to do it faster,” Villarreal said.

The city told Villarreal that data does not support lowering the 40-mph speed limit and that stop signs are not considered appropriate for the multi-lane road. Instead, the city plans to add more 40-mph speed limit signs.

Councilwoman Misty Spears said the fatal crash raises the urgency to prioritize safety improvements in the area to prevent another tragedy from happening.