An 8-year-old Texas boy died in a multi-vehicle crash at what locals describe as a notoriously dangerous intersection, prompting his grieving mother to demand changes that might prevent similar tragedies.
Matteo Hernandez Rodriguez was killed on January 22, 2026, when the sedan he was riding in with his grandmother was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of Texas-114 and Alliance Boulevard in Rhome, Texas. The second-grader from Prairie View Elementary School had celebrated his eighth birthday just weeks earlier, on January 4, according to his obituary.
The crash occurred shortly before 3:45 p.m. as the vehicle attempted to turn into the By Well Estates neighborhood. “Kind of waved my mom like hey, you have time. You have time go,” Maria Rodriguez, Matteo’s mother, told FOX 4’s Dionne Anglin. “That’s when my son got the hit. Someone struck the car and hit right in his door.”
Matteo’s grandmother suffered serious injuries in the collision, including a broken hip and spinal fracture. She was transported to John Peter Smith hospital for treatment, local media reported.
A Mother’s Mission
Rodriguez has now launched a petition calling for a traffic light at the intersection, which has already garnered over 10,000 signatures. The grieving mother points to what she describes as dangerous conditions that make crossing the busy highway a daily gamble.
“From around 3 to 6 p.m. it’s impossible to cross,” Rodriguez explained. “It’s a four-way intersection, and there’s a huge amount of cars waiting to cross over that block the view.”
Is this intersection uniquely dangerous? Local residents have long complained about visibility issues and high-speed traffic along the TX-114 corridor, where development has increased dramatically in recent years without corresponding infrastructure improvements.
The fatal crash has reignited concerns about traffic safety in the rapidly growing area northwest of Fort Worth. Details about the accident were initially documented by legal observers who track serious collisions in the region.
For Rodriguez, the petition represents both a channel for her grief and a concrete step toward preventing other families from experiencing similar losses. The Northwest Independent School District community has rallied around the family, with many parents adding their voices to calls for improved safety measures.
The Texas Department of Transportation has not yet issued a formal response to the petition, though similar grassroots campaigns have successfully prompted traffic studies and safety improvements in other communities throughout the state.
Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial of flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten notes continues to grow at the intersection where Matteo’s young life was cut short — a poignant reminder of what’s at stake in the push for safer roadways.
