HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) is urging drivers to be careful in a “dangerous” intersection, as they notice a sharp rise in accidents.
This comes as the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Mastin Lake Road is undergoing some major construction.
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HPD North Precinct Captain, Tony McElyea, told News 19 that there have been 15 accidents at that intersection since December 15th. He said 5 of those accidents produced injuries and one resulted in a death.
HPD said most of the accidents follow a pattern of northbound Memorial Parkway drivers attempting to make a left onto Mastin Lake Road, despite multiple road signs alerting drivers that they cannot make a lefthand turn at that intersection.
“The majority of the accidents, of that 15, have been illegal left turns,” McElyea said.
He said that drivers are being “t-boned” in the intersection because other drivers don’t see them coming.
“Unfortunately once you make that turn, the people that are northbound or southbound, depending on which direction you’re turning, they can’t see you until you get in the intersection,” McElyea said. “It’s already too late at that point.”
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Right now the intersection is undergoing a major overhaul, as the Alabama Department of Transportation is working to build an overpass on Memorial Parkway over the Mastin Lake Road intersection.
“It’s a very dangerous intersection right now with the construction they have going on,” McElyea said.
News 19 spoke to some drivers who agreed.
“I travel back and forth periodically throughout the day, throughout the week” said Tkayceon McCarroll. “It’s terrible.”
McCarroll said between traveling to work at a nearby shopping center and getting to class at Alabama A&M University, she’s seen a lot of the ongoing construction at the intersection. She said the traffic flow is constantly changing because of the construction.
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“It’s kind of confusing because literally every day it changes,” she said.
McCarroll said with the constant lane shifts, it’s hard for drivers to not get confused in the intersection.
“I feel like there would be less accidents if people pay attention to the signs because there are signs,” she said. “But at the same time, every day is a different route.”
McCarroll said her best advice to drivers in that area is to pay as much attention as you can.
“Literally right, left, back, front you have got to pay attention,” she said. “You have to take your time.”
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HPD echoes McCarroll’s advice.