The intersection of State Road 66 and State Road 261 in Newburgh, Indiana is already known to be a dangerous intersection due to the amount of traffic that goes through it every day. With local schools opening once again, the Indiana State Police have started patrolling the intersection and surrounding roads more carefully, fighting back against the rising number of crashes that occur there.
In 2010, for instance, the intersection saw 81 car accidents, and 100 accidents have happened in or near the intersection since the beginning of 2011. Both State Road 261 and State Road 66 have been designated “high-traffic areas.”
Four Warrick County schools are located within a short distance of the intersection, and many students use the Vann Avenue exit onto State Road 261 to get to and from school, either in school buses, in family vehicles, or while walking. In order to help prevent both car and pedestrian accidents that might injure students, parents, or other road users, the Indiana State Police has assigned multiple troopers to patrol the area. On their first day of increased enforcement, troopers wrote 31 tickets, issued 62 warnings to drivers, and responded to two separate crashes.
The Indiana State Police also posted a flashing warning sign at the Vann Avenue exit, reminding drivers not to text while they are driving the car. Distracted driving is one of the major causes of accidents at the intersection, according to the state police.
