So far this year there have been eight accidents at the intersection of Ironwood and Adams – including one Thursday morning. And there have been 30 accidents there within the last five years.
Some are questioning the safety of the busy St. Joseph County intersection. The county says they are monitoring the situation.
The number of accidents is no surprise to Gary Stone, who lives in Niles and uses the road every day. Stone says he has seen several accidents there and it is getting worse as the population increases in the area.
"If you are not paying attention it can be dangerous, especially in the winter time. I have seen a lot of people slide through there coming down the hill," says Stone.
And Stone isn't the only one questioning the safety of the intersection.
"I really think they should do something," says Juanita Olson of Berrien Springs. "I don't know if a roundabout is the answer, or a traffic light."
In Thursday morning's crash a truck ended up in a ditch at the intersection around 8 a.m., according to a dispatcher. It is unknown if anyone was injured.
The county doesn't have any plans right now for changes to the intersection, although they are monitoring it. Some say, though, safety there is up to drivers.
"If people don't obey the law or rules of the road, or aren't paying attention, that is when you get accidents," says Bill Hostrawser, who lives in the area.
According to the county engineer – they will continue to apply for funding to improve the intersection at Adams. And from the routine inspections, the county has installed safety measures such as additional signage and advance warning flashers on Adams.
The county is putting in a roundabout just south of Ironwood and Adams at the Auten intersection to alleviate traffic backups. It is still unclear how that might affect traffic at Adams.
