BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Drivers travel through this intersection every day — but crash data shows this stretch of road may be more dangerous than it looks.
At the intersection of Taft Highway and Old River Road, traffic moves fast — and sometimes, too fast.
Angel Lopez is the owner of Mariscos El Coral food truck, and he says, “I hear honking all the time, and I’m just waiting for an impact one of these days, so yeah, it is a little scary.”
Crash data shows that since January 2021, there have been ten reported crashes at this intersection. The primary causes include failure to yield at a stop sign, unsafe turning movements, and drivers ending up on the wrong side of the road.
That leaves residents and business owners like Angel nervous for their safety, hoping they won’t have to deal with another accident. “I’ve seen one, and I actually helped out because one of the gentlemen was hurt. I went and helped and called the paramedics.” Lopez said.
California Highway Patrol says many of these crashes ultimately come down to driver behavior and stresses the importance of defensive driving.
Officer Jorge Toro, public information officer, CHP Bakersfield, says, “There used to be a house right on the corner, and I know of two crashes that involved that house. In one of the more recent crashes, the house actually burned down, which is why it’s no longer there.”
I also reached out to Bakersfield City Ward 5 City Councilman Larry Koman, who says he’s aware of the safety concerns at this intersection. He tells me the city is exploring possible modifications, including the idea of a roundabout. “Old River Road at that point deviates. When you cross Old River, it’s off by about a hundred feet, so you have to make a quick left and a quick right to continue on Old River, and that’s always been a challenge. Taft Highway is state-owned and controlled, so anything we do on that road has to be done by Caltrans.” He said.
In a statement, Caltrans says, "There was a recently completed project at the intersection of State Route 119 (Taft Highway) and Old River Road. As part of the project, new stop signs were installed on both northbound and southbound Old River Road, including flashing beacons as part of that signage in both directions. There were also 3 new street lights installed at the intersection.”
However, Angel and other residents say even with those improvements, drivers are still speeding — and they worry something more serious could happen if changes don’t come soon.
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