By Heather Lusk
A new Facebook page recently launched in response to a section of Oak Street that many residents believe is too dangerous.
The page, Residents for a Safer 334/Oak Street, was created by Nicole Adams, who was in a June accident at the corner of Oak Street and Kissel Road that left her back broken in three places.
She intended to create the page after her crash, but pain and therapy took precedence. Then a Dec. 30 accident in the same location that killed an 82-year-old passenger and injured three prompted Adams to take action.
The accidents are two among a dozen that have occurred over the past year, more than double the number of accidents in that area of Oak Street in previous years.
Adams believes there may be several reasons for the increase in crashes, including changes in elevation and increased traffic on the road.
While Zionsville Mayor Tim Haak agrees that increased density and development have impacted the levels of traffic, he believes that drivers are at fault.
“The road is safe. The intersection is safe,” Haak said. “The majority of accidents are because of driver inattention, not because of speed.”
Adams said that her accident occurred in a split second, leaving no time to react.
“People are missing the point,” Adams said. “My goal is to not have anybody to go through what I’ve gone through and every other person that’s crashed there.”
“Pay attention, tell your kids, let’s all be cognizant of exactly every single second on that road because there’s no margin for error,” she said.
“It’s a busy stretch of roadway,” said Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielsen. “People need to pay attention to surroundings and make sure that they’re not distracted.”
Nielsen said that public education is key until a “permanent solution” is found.
The Zionsville Town Council has been aware of accidents in the area for several years, but “budget cycles, going through priorities, and where to allocate the funds” have prevented a study of the area, according to Haak. He said funds have been allocated in this year’s budget to look at the intersection and determine short and long term solutions. Although a contract has not been signed, “that study will be starting in the next couple months,” he said.
The speed limit was lowered to 45 mph in 2013 after the town took control of the state-owned road in 2011, but according to law cannot it be lowered any further without a study providing proper justification.
A sign notifying drivers of their speed was placed on Oak Street near the intersection on Jan. 5 by the Zionsville Police Department but is not related to the upcoming study.
Jill Meyers lives a few houses from the intersection and believes that the issue has gotten worse over the past several years as traffic levels have increased.
“It’s not just distracted driving,” she said. “People are going too fast, there’s too many. It’s definitely a problem.”
