Following deadly crashes, county to expand Hiawassee safety improvement effort
A string of deadly crashes along North Hiawassee Road is leading Orange County leaders to expand the area they're studying for safety improvements and a potential road redesign.
County staff have been studying the stretch of road between Colonial Drive and Silver Star Road since 2023, which came in the wake of the region's 'Vision Zero' push to reduce traffic fatalities.
However, Commissioner Mike Scott said county staff would start to look north of Silver Star after two major crashes this past week, including one Monday night where a woman died after hitting a tree at the intersection of Hiawassee and Nestor Street.
Last month, three people died in a crash one intersection to Nestor Street's north, at Hiawassee Meadows Drive.
The Vision Zero data collection effort tallied more than 50 major crashes in the area between 2018 and 2022, including seven fatal incidents.
'I was standing on the side of the street, and the car came so fast past me you thought it was the Daytona 500, and that just can't be a thing,' Scott said after visiting the Nestor crash site.
The push was primarily spearheaded by Pine Hills Community Council President Dr. Latanya Nichols.
'Many phone calls from residents that are concerned about what are we doing,' Nichols said. 'We need something now… If they're speeding, they need to be fined, not just given a warning.'
County staff confirmed work would be done in two parts: a cheaper, fill-in-the-gap interim effort to reduce crashes, followed by a series of permanent improvements once the studies are complete.
They said the sheriff's office has been involved in the discussions.
Several community members said they hoped the road redesign would include more consideration for the large number of people who don't own cars.
'There's no walkways, and then when they cross over, there's no sidewalks,' Deirdre Graybill, a fellow member of the Community Council, pointed out at the edge of a shopping plaza. 'So you cross over from the street to get to the other side of the street, to walk in the street to get to shopping.'
Freshly placed speed monitoring trailers could be seen along the side of Hiawassee Road Wednesday. County staff said they hoped to have more details about some of the interim improvements in the near future.
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