For most drivers, there really isn't anything that stands out on Shaughnessy Street in Coquitlam.

It's a pretty basic road when you drive the speed limit.

But unfortunately for residents living on a stretch of the street, a recent deadly crash highlights a problem they've been dealing with for years.

Residents living in River Springs, a subdivision at the corner of Shaughnessy and Metcalfe Way, know all too well how dangerous the street has become in recent years.

"We beg people to slow down," said Zeina Wilkins, who has lived in the area for five years.

She told The NOW the speeding problems along the road have only increased in recent years, especially with the opening of the David Avenue connector, noting three accidents on Shaughnessy in the same week.

Wilkins said she'd like to see some measures taken to slow traffic, whether traffic circles, speed bumps or increased police presence.

On Nov. 13, a 17-year-old teen crashed his car into a tree at the entrance to River Springs at around 4 p.m.

The boy died later in hospital, and police said speed was a factor in the incident.

A makeshift memorial filled with candles and flowers marks the spot of the crash.

Wilkins is convinced that, had the crash occurred an hour earlier as children at a nearby elementary school were walking home, there would have been more people killed.

Raymond Sutherland was pulling out onto Shaughnessy last Tuesday at the same time the crash occurred.

He said he saw a red blur quickly followed by an airborne vehicle just a few metres away.

Sutherland was one of the first to call 911.

He agrees with his neighbour that the road has become more dangerous in recent years, especially from drivers using Shaughnessy to avoid traffic jams.

Sutherland would also like to see something done to slow people down, including more police enforcement.

"If they [drivers] knew there were cops hidden around every corner along here, it might slow it [Shaughnessy] down," he said.

The posted speed limit at the scene of the accident is 30 km/h.

Hartmut Kieser and his wife have lived in the subdivision for more than 30 years.

The couple has also seen the traffic and related problems on Shaughnessy increase over the years.

On the day of the accident, Kieser was home watching a movie with headphones on when he heard what he thought was thunder.

It was the car smashing into a tree, narrowly avoiding his fence.

A part of the car's sunroof ended up in Kieser's backyard.

And, like his fellow neighbours, he wants to see some measures in place to stop the carnage in their neighbourhood.

"People treat this like the highway," Kieser said, noting drivers have tried to pass him in the school zone.

Though he doesn't like speed bumps, he's open to the idea if it slows people down.

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart acknowledged the city has received many complaints about that stretch of Shaughnessy.

He's asked city staff to take another look at the road.

However, Stewart suggested the road is properly designed for the posted speed, but drivers tend to push their limits beyond the capacity of the road.

"It's not a forgiving road for that kind of speed," he said.

He added one option could be to narrow the road to slow people down, but if a driver is intent on going too fast it might not help.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com