Editor:
Last night [November 10] my son called us minutes after he left our house to tell us he had just narrowly missed being in a what appeared to be a horrendous accident at the corner of Genesee Road and Springville-Boston Road.
Ridiculously high amounts of accidents and near misses occur at that particular intersection on a regular basis; I was almost involved in one (as a bystander) a few short weeks ago.
I was out for my morning jog and was heading north on Springville-Boston Road (on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic from the north) and was approximately 150 feet or so from the intersection. Over my right shoulder, I noticed an SUV traveling north, the same as I, approaching the intersection at what appeared to be the appropriate speed. As I looked back toward the intersection I immediately observed a potentially dangerous situation unfolding. A truck was coming down the hill on Genesee Road, heading east toward the stop sign at the intersection. A car was coming toward me from the north, toward the intersection, at what appeared to be an appropriate speed. There were three cars stopped at the intersection (on Genesee Road having come from the east). The SUV was heading into the intersection. I saw the SUV, now ahead of me on Springville-Boston Road, tap the brakes.
As the SUV approached the intersection the worst case, but hardly unthinkable given the current design of the intersection, happened, and I had an eye witness view.
The truck coming down Genesee Road from the west was stopped at the stop sign, the car heading south on Springville-Boston Road was still coming and almost into the intersection, the first vehicle (a Jeep CJ) in the three-car string of stopped cars from the east pulled out into the intersection to make a left turn and head toward Springville. I thought it was way too close, but it seemed as if he was going to have enough time to get out of the way of the SUV before it entered the intersection. A dangerous act nonetheless. Unfortunately the second stopped vehicle behind the Jeep (a minivan) pulled out into the intersection right behind the Jeep to make the same left turn right into the path of the oncoming SUV.
The driver of the SUV slammed on the brakes at the same time the driver of the minivan slammed on the brakes, causing the minivan to be stopped directly in the path of the oncoming SUV. It looked as if the SUV was going to slam right into the driver’s door of the minivan resulting in certain tragedy. Fortunately the SUV stopped inches from the minivan, the car that was heading south traveled safely past the front of the stopped minivan as the car went through the intersection and nobody was hurt and no vehicles were damaged. All of the vehicles went on their way as if nothing had happened. I waited until all vehicles had vacated the intersection and then proceeded through as I continued my run. I am not ashamed to say I said a little prayer as I ran, thanking God for keeping an eye on that intersection that morning.
This recent tragedy at that intersection begs the question: why is that not a four-way-stop intersection? I travel through that intersection daily, as does my wife. It is unsafe, not completely because of the design. The design of the intersection coupled with the all-too-often inability of impatient or unobservant motorists to act appropriately at intersections and stop signs is the real issue. During the warm months when I ride my motorcycle through that intersection I make it a point to honk my horn several times as I approach the intersection in an effort to make sure the stopped vehicles are aware of my presence.
This morning, I think about the family of the 33-year-old male driver of the pickup truck involved in the accident and what they must be going through. At the same time I think about what the cost in dollars must be for two stop signs and installation of both. It seems impossible (at least to my simple mind) that the stop signs would cost more or be unaffordable even in our state (or county) current economic situation. Surely the cost is less than most of the wasteful spending we see going on daily.
Enough is enough, or in this case one too many! Make that intersection a four-way-stop before the someone else’s mother, wife, father, husband, son, daughter, partner, loved one or friend is taken from us for no other reason than driver ignorance or impatience, which in my mind is the worst possible reason for such a loss.

Rick Manzone
Springville