Traffic signals were being installed at the intersection of Highway 55 and Old Honeycutt Road in Fuquay-Varina. The signals were covered in plastic when the accident happened.
Early Friday morning, DOT crews uncovered the lights, setting them on a blink mode. Drivers on Highway 55 have flashing yellow lights, and drivers on Old Honeycutt Road have flashing red lights.
Police say the driver of a construction truck ran a stop sign and hit a pick-up truck, which collided with a car. One 3-year-old boy died. Five others were injured and taken to WakeMed. Their conditions are not known.
The boy was the fourth person to die at the intersection since the DOT decided last year to install a light there.
The decision came in September 1999, but funding was not secured until July 2000. Town leaders are frustrated by the delays.
"There are other signal locations around town that we need, and we still don't have them," says town planner Mike Sorenson. "So, we're still trying to work on those. It can be frustrating, but all you can do is keep trying."
Three other Fuquay-Varina intersections are set to have lights installed, but there is no money. There are 35 such requests in the Triangle area that are still awaiting funding.
Police are not sure the signal lights would have prevented the accident. There is a stop sign at the intersection, which police say the construction driver ran. He was charged with failing to heed the sign. The district attorney will decide about charging him in the death of the boy.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
