Panthers’ Cam Newton: Church Street intersection still unsafe

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who was in a car crash at South Church and West Hill streets near Interstate 277 in December, said Wednesday the intersection is still unsafe. He called on the city to do more to prevent future wrecks.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation said that it made a number of improvements to the intersection after the wreck, and that there are now fewer accidents than before the Newton rollover crash.

The city said between 2010 and 2014 there were an average of 5.4 angle crashes a year at the intersection, including nine last year.

The city said there has been one angle crash there through the end of September.

After the wreck, the city installed a new “oversized” stop sign on West Hill Street as well as a second sign to alert motorists that a stop sign is near. The stop sign also has reflective striping to increase visibility at night and in fog.

CDOT also said it repainted the “stop bar” and crosswalk lines on West Hill Street to emphasize to motorists that they must stop.

In addition, CDOT installed a new sign on South Church Street that warns drivers of the impending intersection with West Hill Street. The city also repainted the “skip lines” that designate the three lanes on the street.

South Church Street is a fast way for motorists to leave uptown. The city has said it wouldn’t be good traffic engineering to add a stop sign at the intersection with West Hill Street, in part because South Church Street has three lanes. It would be difficult to get all the lanes to follow the stop sign.

Talking with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Newton changed the subject to discuss the intersection.

 

“There’s not a light there,” Newton said. “I believe there should be a light there because it’s an extreme safety hazard. Recently this past week somebody got into a car accident. ... I hope that the city of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County does something about that intersection right there. It’s extremely dangerous and I would love to see something to take place right there.”

Last December’s accident sent Newton’s black Dodge truck tumbling sideways across a bridge over Interstate 277 in uptown Charlotte. The truck came to rest on the passenger side, its roof flattened.

Newton was going to Bank of America Stadium to watch game film. He was driving on South Church Street.

He had two fractures in his back.

“It’s a moment every time I pass it when I do drive, it’s like an instant prayer that I say,” Newton said. “It could have been a nightmare. I think you guys know by now I don’t drive to work.” (He walks.)

He added: “I’m just bringing it to you guys’ attention and hopefully it gets to the proper authorities that go into trying to make a positive change for the city.”

He said he is “just trying to find ways to make the city better – one win at a time.”

Linda Durrett, a CDOT spokesperson, said the city is “routinely evaluating the intersection to verify the installed improvements have helped.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Panthers’ Cam Newton: Church Street intersection still unsafe."