3 two-vehicle accidents at the intersection in front of Walmart within 48 hours

On Tuesday, 2 separate auto accidents occurred at the intersection on West Main Street in Centre in front of Walmart. Another multiple-vehicle accident occurred there on Thursday afternoon. A frequency of accidents at this intersection has been a concern of law enforcement, local officials, and the public for a while.

Recently, the State Highway Department has reconfigured the intersection with turn lanes being moved and beginning a distance before the intersection. Also, the state has installed a new traffic light system to help make the intersection safer. There is a left turn arrow for the turn lane with a green arrow to allow motorists to safely turn left, then the arrow will turn yellow, then red to stop left turns. However, the arrow flashes yellow to allow for left turns when there is no traffic coming from the opposite direction.

WEIS Radio News spoke to Centre Police Chief, Kirk Blankenship, about the situation. He said he thinks the number of accident is a result of a combination of things including motorist not paying full attention to traffic, not fully understanding how the lights operate, and motorists not yet accustomed to the new turn lane configuration.

Motorists need to approach the area with caution, slow down, and before you turn, make sure you have the right of way.