Just because an intersection has a traffic light doesn't mean it's safer for motorists traveling a particular section of highway.

Complaints about an apparent alarming number of accidents at the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 150W prompted Indiana Department of Transportation officials to review traffic patterns there and, in June 1997, a traffic light was installed.

Since 1990, there have been six traffic fatalities at that intersection. The last one prior to the stop light's placement occurred Oct. 22, 1995, when a pickup traveling on CR 150W pulled into the path of a motorcyclist on U.S. 30.

While INDOT officials were working to determine whether there was a need for a light at the intersection, a representative even witnessed an accident there.

Monday's accident, which police said resulted from a semi tractor/trailer driver disregarding a red light for traffic on U.S. 30, is the second traffic fatality at the intersection since the light went up. The last fatality there, on Oct. 27, 1997, also was caused by a semi tractor/trailer driver running a red light. In that instance, a young woman crossing U.S. 30 on CR 150W with a green light in her favor was killed.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said that a sign with flashing lights warns motorists that a traffic signal is approaching for those traveling on U.S. 30 near CR 150W (INDOT officials said the sign is 1,300 feet prior to the intersection). However, the light is on a hill and can be seen, then is lost from sight before motorists drive up to the intersection, Rovenstine said.

"I think it's a poorly conceived light," Rovenstine said. "We had no input in it." He added that he thinks drivers on CR 150W have a false sense of security with a green light for their direction of travel.

"That light hasn't solved anything," Rovenstine said. "It's created more of a problem, in my opinion."

U.S. 30 is controlled by INDOT and Shan Gunawardena, a systems engineer, said there are eight criteria that must be considered for a traffic signal to be placed at a location in question.

If a complaint about an intersection or a request for a signal is made, the first step is for a traffic counter to be sent out. The counter checks the number of vehicles entering the intersection in each hour from each approach during a minimum of 12 hours of a representative day (Rovenstine said that CR 150W is a heavily traveled route into and out of Warsaw).

The counter also notes the types of vehicles crossing through the intersection, whether there is pedestrian traffic and what the posted speeds are for the stretches of roadway approaching the intersection.

An accident record for the intersection for at least one year is also taken into consideration. Those accidents are classified by type, direction of movement, severity, time of day, date and day of week for at least one year. The assessment at U.S. 30 and CR 150W took place in March 1997.

Results of the assessment by INDOT were not available, but information provided indicates that at least 600 vehicles must have passed through the intersection during one hour (with an eight-hour period averaged) for a light to be considered.

For accident experience to be considered, five or more accidents had to be reported there "of types susceptible to correction by traffic signal control" within a 12-month period and each must have involved "personal injury or major reportable property damage."

That light, according to the guidelines, must "not seriously disrupt progressive traffic flow" and "may be removed if the correctable accident experience is not improved or worsens."

There are other so-called dangerous intersections along U.S. 30 in Kosciusko County, including the crossings at Ind. 19, CR 800W, Parker Street, Center Street, CR 250E and Ind. 15, officials said.

Many serious accidents (and some fatalities) have occurred at all of these intersections, as well as other sites along the highway. Police said that people are quick to blame law enforcement for lack of patrol whenever such accidents occur. When Monday's crash happened, there were two marked police cars - one county squad and one state squad - parked at the intersection with their emergency lights flashing while a minor accident was being investigated. An Indiana State Police trooper was even trying to flag down the driver of the semi to alert him to slow down prior to the impact.

"What more can we do?" Rovenstine said. "If drivers don't notice two police cars with their lights on, what can we do?"

The driver of the semi rig, Edwin Lynch, 47, of Springfield, Ohio, told police he had a green light for his direction of travel. However, four witnesses to Monday's accident, including the trooper and a motorist who stopped in the median when she saw Lynch's rig approaching, said the light for traffic on U.S. 30 was red.

Lynch's rig ran over a car from behind as the driver waited at the red light. Jill Carpenter, 33, of Etna Green, died shortly thereafter from injuries she suffered in that accident.

Information regarding the accident has been forwarded to the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office for review to determine whether any charges will be filed against Lynch. Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner said he is awaiting the accident reconstructionist's report before any decision is made.

Gunawardena said it is not uncommon for truckers to run red lights, especially at night on a seemingly open stretch of highway. He said there are many problems on U.S. 30 resulting from excessive speeds and indicated that this portion of the highway is a high priority in the state as far as accidents are concerned.

Enforcement is an issue to be considered, Gunawardena said, but added that it's difficult to police an area because drivers tend to obey the speed limit when a squad car is present and it's not possible to have an officer there all the time.

At U.S. 30 and CR 150W, Gunawardena said, there is a problem because the signal is in an isolated location, but he would not speculate on whether the signal is causing fatalities. [[In-content Ad]]