The community recently gathered in Curtis Park on what would have been Molly Mullens’ 11th birthday to dedicate the sign that now stands on the stretch of U.S. Highway 287 where she lost her life.
“This mile is not just a sign on a highway. It is a promise,” Molly’s mother, Marissa, said during the Jan. 29 unveiling and dedication of the Molly Mullens Mile. “A promise to remember. A promise to slow down. And a promise to love harder and live more fully.”
The Mullens family was returning from spring break in Colorado in 2024 when the driver of a minivan on a curved stretch of highway lost control, crossed a grassy median and cable barrier, and collided with their vehicle head-on.
They later learned that the barrier on that stretch of Highway 287 was below road level, and that between 2020 and 2024 there had been 78 crossover collisions in the same spot, including more than a half-dozen fatalities.
The family worked with State Rep. Morgan Meyer, State Sen. Tan Parker, and the Texas Department of Transportation to replace the cable barrier with concrete and make the Molly Mullens Mile a reality.
Marissa Mullens explained that, although the new barriers might not be noticed by drivers, they were quietly saving lives by slowing traffic and preventing crossovers every day.
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“Those barriers represent action taken from love. They represent change born from tragedy,” she said. “Even if one family is spared heartbreak because of them, then Molly’s legacy is at work right here, protecting others and reminding us that safety matters.”
Molly lived with joy, Marissa Mullens said, and would want her sign’s dedication to filled with connection, not sadness, and lots of desserts.
Attendees were treated to pig cookies, as well as goodies from ice cream and coffee trucks. Children signed a card, and could take home pink bracelets and squishy pigs.
At the end of the dedication, community members, including many who knew Molly as a student at University Park Elementary, released pink balloons into the sky. Marissa Mullens gave a special thank you to the nurse who had tried to save Molly’s life, and who traveled to University Park to honor her.
“When tragedy happens, it can stop time, but love does not stop. Love keeps going,” Marissa Mullens said. “And this mile is a way for Molly’s love to keep moving … Thank you for standing with us, and for helping turn heartbreak into something that protects others.”
