Crashes plague Northland intersection despite safety steps

A driver who was critically injured at a Northland intersection on Easter Sunday remains hospitalized one week later, his family said.

The intersection, Northeast Cookingham Drive and North Woodland Avenue, is one residents said has a history of reoccurring crashes.

GOOD EVENING -- THANKYOU FOR JOINING US, I'MGABRIELLA PAGAN.THE INTERSECTION WE'RETALKING ABOUT IS ATCOOKINGHAM DRIVE ANDWOODLAND AVENUE.TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSCREEN -- WE'RESHOWING YOU A MAP OFTHE AREA.CITY LEADERS TOOKSTEPS TO THE ROADWAYSSAFER.BUT AS 41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ANDRESGUTIERREZ EXPLAINS --CRASHES ARE STILLHAPPENING, LEAVINGVICTIMS SERIOUSLY HURT.Roberta Roberson/Lives nearintersection/This used to be The old 71bypass then went to 291Highway and now it'scookingham driveTHE ROAD'S NAME HASCHANGED OVER THE LAST34 YEARS ROBERTAROBERSON HAS LIVEDHERE.BUT WHAT HASN'T ARETHE CRASHES KEEPHAPPENING AT THECORNER--ON WOODLANDAVENUE.Roberta Roberson/Lives nearintersection/I just don't pay much attentionto it anymore.

Because there'sso many times I don't know, Idon't know if they can evenstop it.NEIGHBORS RALLIED TOGET CITY LEADERS TOINSTALL A 6-THOUSANDDOLLAR FLASHING LIGHTLAST YEAR TO ALONGWITH THE STOP SIGNSALREADY AT THEINTERSECTION.HOWEVER LAST SUNDAYPOLICE SAY A TEEN DRIVERGOING SOUTH ONWOODLAND BLEW THRUTHE INTERSECTIONHITTING A PIZZA DELIVERYDRIVER GOING WEST ONCOOKINGHAM.THAT DELIVERY DRIVERREMAINS IN CRITICALCONDITION.Roberta Roberson/Lives nearintersection/People just don't payattention, I guess.

I meanyou'd think if you see a bigorange light beeping at you,you'd be able to see it butapparently, they don't.KANSAS CITY POLICE SAYIN 2020 OFFICERSRESPONDED TO TENCRASHES AT THEINTERSECTION--TWORESULTED IN SOMEONEHURT.Roberta Roberson/Lives nearintersection/they just think because it's anopen highway, I guess thatthey can just go as fast asthey want to.AND THE NUMBERS PROVEIT.NINE OF THE 11 TICKETSKCPD ISSUED DURINGENFORCEMENT LAST YEARWAS FOR SPEEDING.Andres Gutierrez/Reporting/some neighbors would like tosee a roundabout installed atthis intersection to make itsafer for drivers.

Butlawmakers say it may take afew years for that to happen.Dan Fowler/KCMO Councilmember,2nd District/We"re probably talking twoyears because you have to doengineering design, trafficdesign, traffic study, and thenyou'd have to go through theprocess of designing it andthen issuing a request forbids.COUNCILMEMBER DANFOWLER SAYS HE'SSEEING INCREASING DATATHAT SHOWSROUNDABOUTS REDUCECRASHES BECAUSE OFTHEIR DESIGN.Dan Fowler/KCMO Councilmember,2nd District/But there"s no one sizefits all solution to trafficaccidentsRoberta Roberson/Lives nearintersection/Well.

I just wish there weren'tso many accidents peoplewould slow down.

But whetherthat's gonna happen or not, Idon't know.IN KANSAS CITY, NORTH.ANDRES GUTIERREZ.

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