UPDATE: Chesterfield Police charged Derrick Stremovihtg, 21, with reckless driving and possession of marijuana. Police said the Powhatan man was driving the Dodge Durango that struck a medical van at the intersection of Kingsland and Hopkins Road. Police said Stremovihtg ran a stop sign. Twelve people, two from the Durango and in the van, were injured.
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - In a video obtained by CBS 6, images showed that an SUV slammed into a medical van on Friday near the intersection of Kingsland and Hopkins Road.
Donald Olson, who lives in the area, said he heard an explosion right by his front yard.
"I ran over there and checked the man, and he didn't act like he was breathing,” Olson said. "The other boy was on top of him, smashed dead on top of him."
"If somebody misses that stop sign, that's when it happens,” said Olson.
According to Chesterfield police, the driver of a Dodge Durango with a passenger inside ran a stop sign and hit a medical van carrying nine people with special needs.
"You've got three lands of traffic here trying to go out of here," Randy Adams, owner of Adams Automotive, said. "When the sun's coming down, most of the time, they'll run through that stop sign,” the auto body shop owner added.
Randy Adams' auto body shop is located right by that intersection.
He complained to police and to the Virginia Department of Transportation after seeing more accidents at that intersection.
"They need a stop light or a flashing light out here and maybe drop this speed limit down to 35 miles an hour instead of 45 because everybody runs over the speed limit,” said Adams.
Marcus Evins said his car was t-boned at that intersection six months ago.
"It's just a pretty dismal...dismal area," Evins said.They need to make some changes with the traffic control."
CBS 6's Sandra Jones looked into the number of accidents at that intersection.
Chesterfield police say there have been eight crashes this past year, which is the same number compared to this time last year.
Seven of those eight crashes have resulted in injuries this year, which is why Don Olson believes something needs to be done before it's too late.
"I'm tired of seeing bodies fly through windows out on the road,” Olson said.
CBS 6 spoke with the medical van driver involved in the accident. He said he hit head and had to get a few stitches, but he’s back on the job.
Dawn Eischen, spokesperson with VDOT, released this information to CBS 6 regarding the intersection:
- A traffic signal warrant study was completed in April 2011 for the intersection of Hopkins Road (Route 637) and Kingsland Road (Route 611) in Chesterfield County.
- Traffic signal warrant studies look at nine different warrants that must be met to receive a signal. The primary factors include traffic volume and crash history. For traffic volume, the study evaluates vehicle volume over an eight hour period, a four hour period and during the peak hour. Crash history evaluates the severity and frequency of crashes.
- Hopkins Road carries approximately 8,100 vehicles per day at a posted speed limit of 45 mph.
- Kingsland Road carries approximately 2,700 vehicles per day at a posted speed limit of 40 mph.
- There are stop sign ahead signs on either side of Kingsland Road to alert drivers to the stop at Hopkins Road.
- Intersection control beacons (flashing signals) have been considered for this intersection, but funding is not available.The 2011 study found neither roads met minimum volume criteria for a traffic signal.
- The 2011 study found 10 crashes (of the types susceptible to correction by a traffic control signal) within a 12-month period between March 2006 and Feb. 2009.
- The study indicates a traffic signal is not deemed justified with current conditions and traffic volume.
- VDOT adopts the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) statewide and uses the criteria stated in this policy to determine whether a signal is warranted for a particular intersection. For VDOT to be eligible for federal funding, it is imperative we follow the MUTCD guidelines.
