Taking Risks With 9A Crossing
By Stacey Creasy
Pilot News
PLYMOUTH � Three people suffered minor injuries in a weekend crash at the US 31-9A Road intersection.
The two-vehicle accident took place about 10:14 a.m. Saturday. A car driven by John E. Koontz stopped at 9A Road and entered the median, wanting to go west on 9A Road.
A south bound vehicle driven by Rachelle Hubbard spotted Koontz in the median.
Koontz turned into the path of the south bound car. Hubbard told police she saw Koontz was not going to stop and attempted to swerve to avoid the collision, but could not miss striking Hubbard�s vehicle.
Witnesses at the scene verified Koontz allegedly turned in front of Hubbard�s south bound vehicle.
Three people were transported to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Plymouth campus with minor injuries. All three were treated and released.
The intersection is the crossing the Indiana Department of Transportation wants to partially close due to the number of personal injury accidents.
Between 1995-1999 there were 30 personal injury accidents at the intersection. The majority of those crashes involved north bound traffic being struck by north bound drivers on US 31.
Some Plymouth officials, residents and business owners are opposed to modifying the median in the intersection. They fear altering the median will slow or stunt growth in the northeastern section of the city.
INDOT officials said since south bound and north bound motorists can enter Plymouth on 9A Road they fail to see how the change will affect growth.
Jack Oliver, owner of Oliver Ford, filed legal action against InDOT to stop the project.
Marshall Circuit Court Judge Michael Cook did grant a restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction which has kept InDOT from working in the intersection.
InDOT officials are concerned about accidents taking place at the intersection while it is in court, which is why they would still like to see the project completed this year.
�We believe we have an obligation to make that intersection as safe as possible,� InDOT Division Chief Jim Poturalski said in a previous interview.
Since then there has been a videoconference where local officials have met with representatives from InDOT.
Both sides restated their cases. InDOT did announce the intersection will likely be targeted for complete closure when the unlimited access highway is put in.
Until then the two sides need to come to some sort of agreement or continue to pursue the matter in court.
Poturalski said InDOT is willing to find a cure for the problem with allowing emergency vehicles through the crossing. Once that step is completed, they would like to begin work on the median.
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