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Third Time in a Year, House at Dangerous Maryville Intersection Struck by Car
On Tuesday, a house at the intersection of North Houston Street and West Lamar Alexander Parkway was hit by a car for the third time in a year. According to the Maryville Daily Times, a Honda Odyssey minivan ran into the house after colliding with a Toyota Sienna minivan at the intersection.
The Sienna was entering the intersection after stopping at a stop sign when the Odyssey struck the Sienna. The Odyssey then ran off the road, down an embankment, and into the house. Officials have reported that the intersection is problematic, and they have had respond to several accidents at this particular intersection over the last few years. According to neighbors, the number of accidents at the corner has increased significantly since Lamar Alexandar had been expanded into a four lane parkway.
Neighbors have contacted several news outlets expressing their concern about the intersection. With the high incidence of accidents, the worry revolves around the dangers posed to local residents. The home owner states his house has been hit five times, and his porch has been damaged after each accident. Officials only have three reported accidents involving the house. Meanwhile, the home owner had just finished fixing his porch from the last accident. The home owner and neighbors want to have a traffic light placed at the intersection.
Problematic Intersection Where House was Struck
This is not the only dangerous intersection in Knox County. The Knoxville News Sentinel has taken the time to create a Google map that marks the top 40 most dangerous intersections and their accident data. They compiled accident data from 2007 to 2009 and 2010 to 2012. The North Houston Street and West Lamar Alexander Parkway are not listed on the accident map; however, the expansion of Lamar Alexander Parkway happened after the time periods where the map was compiled. The bulk of dangerous intersections run along I-40 and I-640, which is not surprising given the speed and amount of traffic at these intersections. Click Here to see the Knoxville News Sentinel dangerous intersection map.
Intersections can be problematic and have a higher degree of accidents because there is a lot of traffic moving in different directions. There are also several contributing factors, including:
- Drivers failing to stop for red lights or stop signs;
- Drivers failing to yield to the right of way of other drivers;
- Drivers failing to notice traffic has stopped and rear ending the car in front of them;
- Drivers speeding, making it difficult to stop; and
- Poor intersection design.
Tips for Driving at Intersections When entering an intersection it is important to stay alert, avoid distractions, drive defensively, and stay in your lane. Injuries from intersections can be more detrimental than other accidents because most intersection accidents are side collisions. Most vehicles do not have side airbags or other safety features so victims can suffer spinal and neck injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, and lacerations. It a good measure to use these tips and stay alert at intersections.
What If You are Involved in an Intersection Accident? Injuries from accidents carry an emotional, physical, and financial toll. If a driver causes an accident at an intersection, due to their own negligence, they can be held liable for the difficulties that victims suffer. Many times, insurance companies become involved in an accident claim. They have their own interests and will want to settle for as little cost to their company as possible. That is why it is important to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about your case.
If you or a loved one has been the victims of an intersection accident an experienced accident attorney will be able to gather evidence related to the accident and can review all the elements of the case. You are encouraged to contact a local personal injury attorney with experience handling car accident cases.
If you have been involved in a vehicle accident, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. at (865) 804-1011.
Additional Resources: Maryville home gets hit for a third time by vehicle, Nov. 13, 2013, The Daily Times
Accidents in Knox County, Jan 2013, Knoxville News Sentinal
More Blog Entries: Tennessee Traffic Deaths Spiked in 2012, Feb. 28, 2013, Knoxville Injury Lawyer Blog
Fatal Knoxville Crash Triggered by Earlier Wreck, Aug. 21, 2013, Knoxville Injury Lawyer Blog