A Hazardous Intersection

To the Editor:

The following letter is basically asking for your assistance in the future of someone’s life or death. I am a new resident of Newtown my husband and I have only lived here seven months (we moved from New York City) to start a new life and family.

I live at a very dangerous intersection of Currituck Road and Signal Post Road (I actually live on Signal Post Road and have to come out onto Currituck Road) my driveway is right in front of a train trestle that makes it nearly impossible to see oncoming traffic from the left-hand side. Needless to say this Saturday my husband and I got into a car accident going to Sand Hill Plaza making a left hand turn onto Currituck Road with a Chevy Suburban. I am 5½ months pregnant and thank God no one was hurt! Just shaken up to say the least.

Our only alternative in the situation of pulling out onto Currituck Road is to both roll down the window and listen for oncoming traffic on the other side of the trestle and honking the horn. My husband did both that day and we heard a car coming and it was coming from the opposite direction so we let that car go by and proceeded to make the turn and crashed because at the same time a car was coming to the left.

A police officer came and took a report and then told us that there was a fatality at the same spot last year, and obviously nothing was done about it then. I am proposing that there should be both a stop sign and a mirror put in that spot to help prevent both further casualties or accidents from happening.

The woman we got into the accident with is a school teacher in Newtown and told us we should call Herb Rosenthal and talk to him about the matter (and she would also). I called his office today and was referred to James Reilly, the police commissioner. I wrote him a letter today and I’m waiting to get a response on the matter. It would greatly be appreciated if somehow you could help further the situation so no other needless tragedies might happen. There is a hidden driveway sign there already but that is not enough, and also this month they are starting to build a house next door to us so additional traffic and work vehicles will be accessing that road!!!!

Thank you for your consideration on the matter in advance.

Sincerely,

Bambi M. Smith

134A Currituck Road, Newtown                                    June 23, 2003