Two injured in vehicle accident at busy Fairbanks intersection
Published Monday, November 24, 2008
Digg
delicious
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!FAIRBANKS -- A traffic accident north of the city sent two people to the hospital and knocked out a major traffic signal early this morning, according to officials.
Alaska State Troopers took a call at just after 7 a.m. that one vehicle involved in a two-vehicle accident knocked out the post of the traffic signal at Farmers Loop and Ballaine Road, a heavily-traveled spot close to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Two people, a man and his 6-year-old daughter, were taken to the hospital following the accident, according to Meadow Bailey, a spokeswoman with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
The accident also left the signal inoperable, Bailey said. State transportation crews stepped in to manage traffic at the three-way intersection through the morning — Bailey said the signal would be turned off between six and eight hours while the mast arm holding the overhead signals is taken down and a new, temporary signal is installed.
“Motorists can travel through the intersection, just be prepared to stop and travel with caution while crews are working at the intersection,” Bailey wrote today in an e-mail to the Daily News-Miner.
Two other people were also involved in the accident but were not taken to the hospital, the state said.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
Let's hope the man and his daughter did not suffer serious injuries.
Editor, could you kindly post their status when it becomes available?
ditto to TAC.
our prayers are w/the family
We will update this story as soon as more information becomes available.
I'm curious as to how the accident happened. There is a lane to get off Farmers Loop onto Ballaine going North. Did the other guy turn into them because he wasn't paying attention? When I lived out there and my son went to Pearl Creek I used that intersection all of the time. As long as one was paying attention it was perfecftly safe.
Also hoping that other than the trauma of the accident that all are ok!
Looking forward to further info on this one. Thanks Julie!
I'm curious as to how the accident happened. There is a lane to get off Farmers Loop onto Ballaine going North. Did the other guy turn into them because he wasn't paying attention? When I lived out there and my son went to Pearl Creek I used that intersection all of the time. As long as one was paying attention it was perfectly safe.
Also hoping that other than the trauma of the accident that all are ok!
Looking forward to further info on this one. Thanks Julie!
I certainly hope that the two injured are ok.
The light at that intersection and the light at N Tanana drive are not needed. They cause motorists to waste gas and, particularly the N Tanana light, cause accidents. At both intersections it is not at all unusual to see several cars having to come to a stop so that one car can exit onto Farmers Loop. In most cases the car coming on to the Loop would have a very short stop and could easily pull on. Neither light serves much purpose and, in my opinion, they should blink yellow on the Loop and red on N Tanana and Ballaine.
I saw near collision at that intersection on Saturday evening.
Eastbound Jeep making a left nearly hit a westbound truck making a right onto Ballaine.
I can only assume that the truck had the right of way, and the Jeep misunderstood his green light to mean "turn at all costs," but I don't drive that intersection often enough to be sure.
I do know, however, that the Jeep GC driver demonstrated the aggressive "I'm right and you're wrong" behavior that Fairbanks' drivers have become famous for.
AkRascal, both lights are necessary. The speed limit on Farmers Loop is 50 mph and the traffic is often heavy, which makes it dangerous to pull onto the road without a traffic light. I have also seen accidents at Ballaine Lake, which does not have a signal.
The speed limit on Farmers Loop is too high from around Auburn down to College Road. Make it forty, and we'll see fewer accidents.
No, you will just see more speeders.
Maybe a solution would be to have the lights active only during peak hours.
A agree with AkRascal for the most part. Both lights are annoying. There are other examples that pull off on to Farmers Loop. The transfer station and UAF Taku(?) parking lot entrance and exit come to mind. However, I don't know if driving would be safer or not without the lights.
I hope those involved in the accident are O.K.
How about drivers realize that although the road is back to blacktop it is covered in black ice. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE!!!!! I've seen more people driving recklessly since the snow started falling than were dangerous before. 4WD does not fix black ice.
My sympathies to the families.
Thats weird. I drove through right after it happened and the lights were going. I was coming toward town on Farmer's Loop. We all took a right onto Ballaine then hung a U-ey into the merge lane to get around, but the lights were working. I didnt see if they were timed correctly but they were changing from green to red. My thoughts are with the family. Be safe, everyone, brakes aren't our friends today.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
My prayers with all the people involved. Later that night I saw a dead moose on the other end, flares and tow truck. I worry for us all out there. Farmers Loop can be one dangerous place.
Okay, while we're talking about Farmers Loop traffic and the risks:
I'm thinking I will probably end up trying to put something in "real" print for everyone to see.
My family has lived on Farmers Loop since 1966. We have gone through various road revisions as well as having land taken for the most recent (?) renovation.
During this last (years ago now) renovation they broadened the shoulders. We regularly drive from the University end and then make a left hand turn to our house. At that point Farmers Loop is a simple two lane road again.
People behave like the right hand shoulder is some sort of "lane" - I'm yielding to oncoming traffic and the traffic is flying past me, passing me on the right! Using the shoulder to do so! We're not talking about "some darn teen-ager" here. The majority of the people are my fellow occupants here on Farmers Loop.
Yikes! When I follow traffic rules and slow behind someone in the process of a similar legal turn someone passes the three or four of us legitimately pausing behind the turning car. God help you when start to accelerate, as someone may be unexpectantly merging in from the right hand shoulder - "Whoa, lady - get out of the way, I'm driving on the shoulder here!"
Stop it. You're not teen-agers. Don't drive on the shoulder. It goes without saying. Thanks.
Oops, and I apologize to the teen-agers with more common sense. I've raised a couple. I'm saying these people are NOT teen-agers who have limited driving experience, these are people who know better.
Prayers for the injured.
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.