ARKWRIGHT - Another snow event; another accident. That's what Charles McDermott has come to expect near his home (the former cheese factory) at the intersection of Bard Road and Center Road.
Sometime between 4:30 and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, a vehicle slid through the intersection, striking the historic marker and damaging the Christmas decorations on it. McDermott characterized the damage as "minor" but he worries about what else could happen.
On Nov. 23 and Nov. 24, during the first major snowfall McDermott documented the first accidents of the season at this intersection. On Nov. 23, a car went into a ditch. On Nov. 24, a truck damaged a stop sign.
Article Photos
Photo submitted by Charles McDermott
Pictured is the aftermath of another accident at the intersection of Bard and Center Road in Arkwright. Charles McDermott, who owns the house at the intersection, figures between 4:30 and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday a vehicle struck the historical marker on his property. Luckily the property damage was minor.
On March 3, a park police vehicle overturned in the creek in back of McDermott's house.
In all these cases, there were no injuries.
The Chautauqua County Traffic Safety Board is still studying the situation and it is on the agenda for the next meeting. According to Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace, "The county highway department is looking at it (Bard and Center) again." However, the options may not alleviate the problem.
"A barrier might create an even more hazardous situation. They are looking at alternate signage," he added. Most of all Gerace stressed, "People need to slow down."
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