NORTH WELLINGTON – A deadly accident at an intersection between Palmerston and Moorefield has reignited calls for a roundabout to curb fatalities.
A press release from Perth County OPP said on Aug. 10, they responded to a collision between a tractor trailer and an SUV at the intersection of Wellington County Road 8 and 9, also known as Perth Road 140 and Perth Line 91.
A 55-year-old woman from Caledon was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were sent to hospital with serious injuries.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the tractor trailer had been travelling westbound when it struck the northbound SUV. The intersection is controlled by a stop sign in the north and south directions.
This is a shared intersection on the municipal boundary of Perth County and the Township of Mapleton, but is also a short distance from Minto urban centre Palmerston.
Councillors from Minto and Mapleton both shared frustrations about a lack of action on improving safety at the intersection.
In order to create a roundabout at this intersection, both Perth and the County of Wellington would have to include this in their budget.
Mapleton mayor Gregg Davidson said the County of Wellington put this in their budget many times over the years but Perth County hasn’t done the same.
Mapleton councillor Michael Martin asked the mayor how to get some cooperation from Perth County.
“I know it’s the county and a county road but it’s our township, it’s our people, it’s our fire department, it’s our first responders that go out there and service that particular intersection,” Martin said at council.
“I’m not sure I understand the reluctance of Perth on this in the recent past with budgets.”
At Minto’s council meeting, councillor Ron Elliott said this intersection is known for being dangerous and held Perth County responsible for a lack of action.
“It’s a terrible, terrible corner,” Elliott said at council. “You probably thought there might be something serious happening there again and it has. If Perth County would have acted on it, we probably wouldn’t have had this issue today.”
Representatives from Perth County could not be reached for comment.
Minto mayor George Bridge agreed with Elliott that this is a terrible bend where visibility can be a challenge.
He assured Elliott that the County of Wellington will be reaching out to Perth County for this to go forward.
Davidson said they need to keep the pressure on because roundabouts are an effective traffic calming measure.
“Putting a roundabout in will save lives there,” Davidson said to council. “We’ve seen that at County Road 8 and 12. We put one in there and we have not seen a fatality since that time.”
