WACO — A local resident plans to present a petition to the Waco City Council after a golf ball shattered her car window while she was driving past Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, raising renewed questions about safety along Bagby Avenue and what the city can do to protect motorists.
Incident, petition and response
On Aug. 15, Roseanna Lujan said she was driving with family members — including a daughter with a high-risk pregnancy and an autistic, nonverbal grandson — when a golf ball struck the rear window of her vehicle and shattered it. Lujan told KWTX she has met with golf course staff and the City of Waco’s Risk Management department but believes little has been done to address the hazard.
“I was driving with my daughter, who has a high-risk pregnancy, my autistic nonverbal grandson, my other daughter and my granddaughter down Bagby Avenue,”
The incident prompted Lujan to gather signatures and prepare a petition to be presented at a monthly City Council meeting. She said the petition is intended to highlight safety concerns for other families traveling that corridor.
City explains constraints, says it is reviewing options
Waco Parks and Recreation Director Jonathan Cook provided a statement to KWTX describing the city’s stance and the challenges involved in installing protective measures along the stretch adjacent to the golf course.
“Safety is a priority for the City of Waco, and we take concerns about errant golf balls reaching Bagby Avenue seriously,”
Cook said city staff and Waco police responded to the recent incident and followed up directly with the resident. He noted that while protective netting has been evaluated as a potential solution, the presence of overhead power lines and a major electrical transmission easement create “significant site constraints.” The statement said the city continues to examine the area and evaluate practical options to improve safety while preserving the functionality of the golf course and driving range.
Past reports, community frustration
Lujan is not the first motorist to report being struck near the course. Erica Ratliff told KWTX she experienced a similar event in July 2022 when a golf ball hit and cracked her front windshield. Ratliff said she sought assistance from the golf course at the time, but was told there were no cameras facing the roadway and ultimately was advised to file an incident report.
According to Ratliff, her complaint to the city’s Risk Management office did not result in action she considered satisfactory. Portions of her account included frustrations that mirror Lujan’s concerns about accountability and the pace of any remedial efforts.
- Aug. 15, 2026 — Rear window of Roseanna Lujan’s car shattered while driving on Bagby Avenue.
- July 2022 — Erica Ratliff reported a golf ball cracked her windshield on the same roadway.
- City staff say they are evaluating protective netting but cite overhead power lines and a transmission easement as limiting factors.
| Incident | Date | Reported outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Roseanna Lujan — shattered rear window | Aug. 15, 2026 | Petition to be presented to City Council; city review ongoing |
| Erica Ratliff — cracked windshield | July 2022 | Incident report advised; unresolved safety concerns reported |
Next steps and implications for Waco drivers
Lujan plans to bring the petition forward at a scheduled City Council meeting where members of the public can ask the council to consider measures to reduce the risk of errant golf balls on Bagby Avenue. The city’s acknowledgment that it is examining the site suggests officials may present options to the council — but the statement also makes clear there are physical and utility-related barriers to some fixes, such as tall netting.
For residents who travel Bagby Avenue, the dispute underscores an ongoing tension between recreational land use and street safety. Any proposed remedy — from additional signage and speed or lane restrictions to engineered barriers — must balance cost, feasibility and the rights of the golf course to continue operating. The council will be asked to weigh those trade-offs when the petition is presented.
City officials have not provided a specific timeline for completing their review. The petition and the council meeting will give city leaders an opportunity to explain potential solutions and any near-term steps that could reduce the odds of similar incidents in the future.
— Reporting for WE NEWS
