East Fayetteville Residents Call For Change At Dangerous Intersection

Over the last few years there have been 27 accidents at the intersection of Highway 24 and North Plymouth Street.

"It just happened so quick, I didn't know where the truck came from. I just thought whoever was in that truck today was dead," said Neal Brewington.

Brewington said she saw the latest accident at the intersection from the front porch of her home.

The people involved in the crash walked away with minor injuries, however two people were killed in a collision at the intersection last year.

Lillie Matthews, 71, and her grandson Michael Smith, 15, died after Matthews failed to yield the right of way. The intersection has stop signs and a blinking red light.

"There are so many accidents down here that a lot of nights it wakes me up," said resident Franklin Williams.

Williams has lived in the east Fayetteville neighborhood for 14 years. He believes a traffic light will cut down on the number of accidents here.

The state Department of Transportation does not consider the intersection a major problem. According to its records, there have been 27 accidents at the intersection since 1999, with close to 50 injuries. Last year's deaths were the only two reported.

Williams said he knows first hand how dangerous the road can be and said the DOT numbers do not add up. He said there is at least one accident each week.

"Myself, I almost got hit out here a couple of times due to this same fact -- that people are running far above the speed limit," Williams said.

The speed limit on Highway 24 is 55 mph. Although the DOT does not consider the intersection to be highly dangerous, officials do admit that it warrants further investigation.