Petition calls for safety improvements at accident-prone Lambton intersection
A petition calling for safety improvements to an accident-prone rural intersection in Lambton County is picking up momentum.
It follows three separate crashes in the last few months at London Line and Forest Road, and a fatal crash at the site last September.
That’s when Watford resident Stephanie Cattrysse lost her stepfather.
“We don’t want other families to suffer,” said Cattrysse.
Her stepfather, 57-year-old Robert Hollingsworth, was well known in the area for his painting business. He was pronounced dead after a two-vehicle crash at the site.
A driver from Kitchener was charged with careless driving causing death in connection with the incident.
Cattrysse has launched a petition both online and on paper, calling on Lambton County to make improvements to the intersection to make it safer.
Currently, the intersection is controlled by a two-way stop sign on Forest Road for northbound and southbound traffic. The speed limit on London Line, going east and west, is 90 kilometres an hour.
“This intersection is due for updates in the next two to three years, but that’s too long to wait,” said Cattrysse. “Bob was killed nine months ago, and since then there have been an additional three collisions at this intersection, so something needs to be done at least in the interim.”
Last fall, following the crash that killed Hollingsworth, OPP had tallied up 31 collisions at the site since 2010, including two fatalities.
Area residents say the trend is distrubing. “There’s a lot of times in the morning people don’t slow down, or they’ll slow down and they’ll shoot straight through,” remarked resident Dan Jans.
“It’s a bad corner, I keep my eyes open whenever I’m in that area,” said area resident O’Nile Forget.
Why it’s such a troubled intersection is a bit of a mystery, because it’s wide open, and there are no visible obstructions.
“There’s definitely something needed there,” said Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott. He tells CTV News London a traffic study will be conducted over the summer with a report expected in September.
“First few steps could be overhead flashing lights, rumble strips. The review will also look at roundabout. Yeah, all options will be looked at.”
Cattrysse said she’s happy to see wheels are in motion. She’s hoping to get 5,000 signatures for her petition, which she will present to Lambton County council next month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.