MOUNT VERNON — Living on the southwest corner of Beckley and Upper Fredericktown roads, Paul Robertson has seen his share of accidents.
“It’s hard,” the Morris Township resident said of the results of the accidents he’s witnessed. Accidents include a fatality in 2016.
“I’d like to see the traffic slow down and have people pay more attention to what they are doing,” he said.
To improve the safety at the intersection, Morris township residents, with the support of township trustees, requested the county make the intersection a four-way stop. On Thursday, the trustees, neighbors, county commissioners, County Engineer Cameron Keaton, and Deputy Engineer Clint Cochran met to discuss possible safety solutions.
According to state crash statistics, excluding incidents involving animals, six accidents occurred at the intersection between 2017 and May 2022. Five were failure to yield at the stop signs on Beckley Road.
Three involved vehicles traveling westbound on Beckley Road; two involved eastbound drivers.
Failure to yield includes drivers who blow through a stop sign and those who stop and then pull out because they don’t see another vehicle.
In the sixth accident, a driver eastbound on Beckley turned right (south) onto Upper Fredericktown Road. The driver made a wide turn, going into the northbound lane and striking a car.
Five of the accidents occurred between 9 and 11:30 am. The other was 1:30 pm. None involved adverse weather or road conditions. Drivers ranged in age from 24 to 81. Drugs nor alcohol was a factor.
Knox County 911 logs show an additional five non-injury crashes occurred at the intersection between Jan. 1, 2017 and May 31, 2022. One of those was a car striking a deer. It is not immediately clear the circumstances of the other four.
Keaton noted there are advance warning signs and double stop signs on westbound Beckley. Drivers southbound on Upper Fredericktown, however, have no advance warning that a car is approaching the intersection on Beckley due to the trees and a house blocking visibility.
Trustee Tim Smith said that as drivers eastbound on Beckley glance left (north), southbound cars on Upper Fredericktown blend with the trees and are difficult to see. Looking south, drivers must inch close to Upper Fredericktown to see around trees on Robertson’s property.
Drivers westbound on Beckley have a greater visibility problem. Looking right (north), they also must get very close to Upper Fredericktown Road before they can see around the trees on the northeast corner of the intersection.
Looking south, visibility is not an issue in the spring. However, if the field on the southeast corner is in corn, come late summer the cornstalks block visibility.
“I think we all agree there are visibility issues,” Keaton said. “A four-way stop will not help the situation. The best thing we can do is improve visibility as motorists approach the intersection. We can’t do much with the houses, but we can do something with the vegetation.
“A four-way stop will just introduce another type of accident,” he added.
In addition to a four-way stop, township residents suggested rumble sticks on Beckley and lowering the speed limit on Upper Fredericktown Road as possible solutions. Keaton said neither rumble sticks nor flashing lights will help, adding that both are disruptive to residences.
Regarding lowering the speed limit, he said, “Is that the problem? When people are not stopping at the intersection? You should not use speed to regulate something else that is the problem. You should not lower the speed limit to correct a sight issue.”
The group agreed the next step is removing the trees on the northeast corner and possibly installing a guardrail in front of the house. Because the trees are in the county right-of-way, Keaton’s office will take the lead on removal.
Due to the trees’ size, county crews cannot remove them. Keaton estimated it will cost $20,000 to $30,000 for tree removal, money he said he does not have in his budget.
While Keaton seeks funding, Smith will continue working with Robertson to improve visibility by trimming trees and bushes.
For his part, Robertson, who did not attend the meeting but spoke with Knox Pages afterward, agrees the trees on the northwest corner are a problem, but he still thinks a four-way stop is the best option.
“I think people will pay attention if they are at a four-way stop,” he said. “I can’t see why they would object. That seems better for everybody to me.”
Morris Township Trustee Dan Humphrey said he believes everyone was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
“Cameron did a good job of explaining his position regarding the four-way stop, and he had the facts to back up his thoughts. Removal of the trees would certainly be helpful, and I can readily see the need for a guard rail in front of the house,” Humphrey said. ““I was pleased that a plan of action was determined and Cameron is assuming responsibility to see that it is carried out.
“The request did not result in a four-way stop, but action is being taken to make the intersection more safe, and that is what is important,” he added.
Humphrey said the trustees will likely discuss the topic at their June 27 meeting.
