A tragic motor vehicle accident recently claimed the life of former Ansonia High School football standout Darnell Cooks while four others were seriously injured. The two-car collision occured near the intersection of Boston and Noble Avenue in Bridgeport. An investigation into the cause of the accident is still pending.
Cooks was the third player from Ansonia's 2002 State Champion Football team to have died. Steve Zuraw, Cooks' co-captain on the 2004 team, and Damontis Johnson were both killed in tragic incidents as well.
Connecticut Intersection Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents in Connecticut are far too common. When two or more cars collide, catastrophic injuries and death can often result. Even as safety standards for cars improve, collision-proof vehicles are still non-existent.
When two roads meet to form an intersection, dangerous conditions present themselves to drivers. Whether a driver runs a red light or stop sign, fails to properly yield or the right-of-way is violated, motor vehicle crashes at intersections are dangerous to all involved.
Traffic circles, roundabouts and rotaries have been added throughout the state to lessen the occurrence of car crashes at dangerous intersections. State-maintained roundabouts can currently be found in Connecticut at the West Haven intersection of Route 162 and S.R. 705 and the Killingworth intersection of Route 80 and Route 81. Roundabouts are proposed for the Salem 'Four Corners' intersection of Route 85 and Route 82 as well as for the Ellington 'Five Corners' intersection of Route 74 and Route 286.
Connecticut Stop-Light Alternatives Reduce Fatal Crashes
One of the major benefits of alternatives to stop-light and stop-sign controlled intersections is the lessened likelihood of a t-bone or head-on collision. In both roundabouts and traffic circles, all traffic is moving in the same rather than opposing direction and traffic is generally moving slower than the full speed of the road on which it's located.
Rear-end collisions are also less likely when a roundabout is used to control traffic flow. Attempts to speed up to make a green light as well as sudden stops at red or yellow lights are virtually eliminated. While some may use lights or stop signs to control entry, most modern roundabouts require drivers to yield upon entry, meaning that vehicles already in the roundabout have the right-of-way.
The details of Ansonia crash have not been fully-released, but the loss of a life and the hurt a family experiences despite the cause of an accident are well known by any who have faced similar tragedy. If you've been injured in a motor vehicle collision at one of Connecticut's many intersections, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you obtain the compensation you need to fully recover from the accident.
