Many motorists may find that high-traffic roads that intersect with busy highways can be extremely dangerous. In fact, in Ohio, there have been more than a dozen car wrecks at a particular intersection, some of which have been fatal, and city officials are contemplating eliminating the intersection.
The dangerous intersection in question is where Ohio 4 intersects with New Carlisle Pike. Since 2012, 15 car crashes have occurred at the intersection, which resulted in 20 injuries and three deaths. To address the problem, the city council tried various strategies, one of which was to divert trucks traveling on New Carlisle Pike to exit the highway and re-enter at the roadway’s northbound lane. However, after a father and son were killed when their car collided with a truck as they pulled into the intersection in September, the city council again met to discuss what could be done to make the roadway safer.
Some of the options the council discussed involved removing the concrete median and closing the intersection, installing warning lights and signage, building an overpass and redirecting New Carlisle Pike to another road. However, they decided that the last two options would be costly and complicated.
Road and weather conditions, speed, and driver distractions are some of the factors that can cause car wrecks that can leave people with life-threatening or permanent injuries. While seeking damages from a negligent driver may be fairly clear-cut, demonstrating that improper maintenance of a city road caused an accident can e far more complex, which is why having the assistance of an attorney might be advisable.
Source: Dayton Daily News, “After Accidents, Huber Heights Researches Closing Ohio 4 intersection”, Will Garbe, Oct. 8, 2016