RCMP investigating fatal collision at Highway 103 intersection
Concerns have been expressed by public on social media about the intersection
The RCMP says its investigation into a fatal collision that occurred on Highway 103 on Aug. 15 could take months to complete.
A 67- year- old woman from Middle West Pubnico lost her life as a result of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 103 in the area of Belleville at the intersection of the highway and Eel Lake Road. The collision occurred around 4:15 p.m.
The woman was a passenger in a 2012 Honda Civic. She was transported by EHS to Yarmouth Regional Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The driver of the car, a 68-year-old man of Middle West Pubnico, was transported by EHS to hospital with serious injuries.
The driver of a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, a 45-year-old man from Meteghan River, was transported by EHS to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A passenger in the truck, a 41-year-old woman of Meteghan River, was transported by EHS to hospital with serious injuries.
The section of Highway 103 was closed for several hours while an RCMP collision analyst attended the scene to collect evidence.
“Such investigations are complex, therefore, determining the cause of a fatal collision can take several months,” explained RCMP Corporal Dal Hutchins. “Reasons for this include obtaining witness statements and reviewing the statements, mechanical inspections on the vehicles involved. Evidence taken at the scene has to be reviewed.”
As well, he said, collision analysts that attend these scenes are The Belleville intersection on Highway 103 at the Eel Lake Road. People often raise concerns about this intersection, including how the installation of signage from recent work creates blind spots for oncoming traffic. dealing with several other serious injury and fatal collisions, which also contribute to the time it takes to determine what actually took place.
“The RCMP will assess all of the evidence collected before making a determination of what caused a collision,” he said, adding these investigations also determine if charges are warranted.
CONCERNS ABOUT INTERSECTION
This intersection has undergone recent work and on social media people have expressed concern over the intersection which has seen curbing and con- crete islands added, along with new lanes for leaving the highway and merging onto it.
“Regarding the intersection at Highway 103 and Eel Lake Road, we have recently made improvements to this intersection to improve the safety and bring the intersection up to current highway design standards. The department is not aware of concerns related to the safety improvements that were recently completed,” department spokesperson Marla MacInnis said on Aug. 17 when asked about the intersection and the work that has taken place.
She said the department was aware of two accidents at intersection this month.
“We will be reviewing RCMP accident reports in both instances,” MacInnis said. “The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal reviews RCMP accident reports to determine whether provincial infrastructure was a factor in any collision. We track accident history along all highways, and complete traffic analyses periodically as well.”
Cpl. Hutchinson was asked about accidents at this intersection.
“I can confirm that our records show three collisions at this location since 2010, including the fatal on Aug. 15,” he said. He referenced an April 9, five-vehicle collision that took place in the construction zone while construction work was taking place at the intersection earlier this year.
“Several people were injured,” he said. “On Oct. 6, 2010, a threevehicle collision with injuries occurred at this same location.”
Cpl. Hutchinson did not list any other accidents that have taken place since the recent work to the intersection was completed.
While an official cause to last week’s collision is yet to be determined, on social media people continue to raise concerns about the intersection.
On Aug. 17 area resident Andre Surette posted a video on Facebook in a public post showing how signage present at the intersection can create a blind spot to oncoming traffic for those waiting to cross or merge onto the highway. A video he posted showed a vehicle seemingly coming out of nowhere based on where another vehicle may be stopped at the intersection.
“You need to be concentrating this and paying major attention nonstop, and you need to stop at the perfect position,” he said. “The signs are in your line of sight, and the posts are too thick creating blind spots everywhere.”
But sometimes even with stopping at the perfect position a blind stop still exists, Surette said. He said he observed this from the drivers’ seat of a 2016 Ford Escape AWD this past weekend.
He said there should not be anything at an intersection that obstructs a drivers’ view. That’s how it was prior to the work that took place here, he said, but it’s not like that anymore. Others have expressed similar concern.
Argyle-Barrington MLA Chris d’Entremont agrees there are concerns about the intersection. He said he’ll await the RCMP report that will determine what caused the Aug. 15 collision and said until then it would be improper to lay blame or speculate on that accident’s cause.
But he does hear from people about the intersection.
The biggest problem, as he sees it, is the fact the intersection is a flat crossing immediately adjacent to a curve and nothing short of an overpass could alleviate this problem, he said.
As for the issue of the blind spots, d’Entremont said he’s heard this will be addressed. One of the things that will occur is the thick wooden posts that were installed as part of the signage are to be replaced with much narrowing steel posts.
D’Entremont said another nearby Highway 103 intersection that also generates a lot of public comment and concern is Exit 32 at Argyle/Nakile. The lack of a turn lane for Nakile leads to the presence of slower traffic while through traffic is also present.