Three people suffered serious injuries due to a major car wreck at the intersection of Old Forge Road and Presidential Boulevard in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Sadly, one of the victims was a child.
Reports indicate a car and an SUV approached the intersection, but the car was driving far too fast and failed to properly stop at the stop sign, according to wvec.com. The crash was so severe that the SUV flipped over multiple times and one of the cars burst into flames.
Unfortunately, intersection accidents are a common occurrence in the U.S. In fact, nearly 8,000 people were killed in car crashes at intersections in 2008, according to the Federal Highway Administration. What’s even more disturbing is the fact that despite improved intersection designs and more sophisticated traffic engineering measures, the annual loss of life in car wrecks at intersection has not decreased in over 25 years.
Local Va. Beach residents say the intersection at Old Forge Road and Presidential Boulevard is particularly dangerous and drivers need to exercise caution.
“This intersection you gotta be really careful because there are so many close calls here it’s unreal,” said Jim Sottile, who was close to the scene of the car accident when it occurred.
Mr. Sottile makes a good point. The best deterrent to an intersection accident is being cautious, vigilant and patient at an intersection. Failing to come to a complete stop and rushing through the intersection is a recipe for a major car wreck and serious injuries.