Locals claim the intersection is a problem area after several fatal accidents

MEAD, Okla. (KXII) – A deadly crash in Bryan County shut down a highway for hours Thursday morning. Residents want something done about the dangerous intersection.

Residents like Lawrence Latham, who live along Leavenworth Trail, said the area is too hectic. “I don’t know how many more people have to be killed before the light turns red,” he said.

And many residents agree. “There really should be a traffic light, it would probably save some lives,” Mead resident Dale Seabourn said.

Locals describe the intersection as a problem area and said Thursday morning proved this. Around 11:30 a.m., troopers said a car ran the stop sign on Leavenworth Trail and crashed into a motorcycle on Highway 70, killing 64-year-old James Water.

“It’s gotten worse and worse,” Lawrence said when asked how often he sees an accident at the intersection.

“It’s just always a busy intersection, there are probably at least five, six or more wrecks every year,” Seabourn said. “There’s a lot of traffic down there, especially between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.,” Terry Bevels said.

Bevels said more people are traveling through because of the growth. “A lot of people come from work in Sherman and Denison and travel north on the Leavenworth Trail, and then there are a lot of people who come from Durant,” he said.

Bevels said he had an incident himself when he was driving from Durant and almost hit a car that ran from the stop sign and went directly into the right lane. “I actually turned to miss them and did the concrete pillar deal that caused a tire on my truck to blow out,” he said.

A traffic light at the intersection is preferred, but some people tell News 12 they would settle for a four-way stop sign.

Copyright 2024 KXII. All rights reserved.