Officials seek changes for Madison Twp. road with numerous crashes, including 2 in one day

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

A stretch of Madison Twp. road known for crashes and near misses was the scene Tuesday of two accidents, including one that sent a driver to hospital with serious injuries.

Earlier this month, two people died a short distance away at an intersection plagued with crashes. Township trustees and Ohio Department of Transportation officials say they are working on projects to make the Ohio 122 corridor, including the Elk Creek Road intersection, safer in Madison Twp.

At about 9:25 a.m. Tuesday, a box truck traveling south flipped over and went through a utility pole on Ohio 122 near the Madison Food Mart, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Cedric Goode, 31, of Blacklick, Ohio, was transported by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Then at about 8:30 p.m., a car travelling east on Ohio 122 near Hill Street left of center and struck a westbound car on the left side, according to the sheriff’s office. All involved received minor injuries.

Two Middletown women were killed on the night of July 5 in a crash at Elk Creek Road an Ohio 122, which as been the location of many serious and fatal crashes in recent years. Township administrators are working to obtain funding through safety grants from the Ohio Department of Transportationto make the area safer.

Plans call for a house between Hursh Road and Beverly Lane to be demolished by this fall to create better sight distance at at a sharp curve and hill on Ohio 122. The house sits just feet off the road and was purchased along with some surrounding land by the state for $169,000, according to Kathleen Fuller, ODOT District 8 public information officer.

The house has been hit multiple times over the years by vehicles failing to negotiate the curve and hill.

“It is hindrance to say the least,” Fuller said, noting the demolition of the house is scheduled to be completed by the end of October and work will also be done to clear vegetation.

Fuller said District 8, working with the trustees and the Butler County Engineer’s Office, will be applying for grant money reserved for the states’s most dangerous intersections or stretches of road to improve Elk Creek Road and 122. Options include a roundabout or new traffic light.

“It has been on our radar for awhile,” she said.

Fuller said the district is confident it can secure funding of the upgrades and the grant application will be submitted in September. But, she noted, much planning and input from residents will be needed.

“It could be a roundabout to slow the traffic down and lessen the severity of any crashes or it could be something else. We will have hearings and welcome input,” Fuller said.

Township Trustee Thomas Hall said the intersection has also been on his radar. Rumble strips were installed on Elk Creek before the stops sign to alert motorists, and he believes a roundabout is needed.

“I like the idea,” Hall said, noting he hes met with both Butler County Engineer Greg Wilkens and ODOT officials about improving the intersection before and after the double fatal crash.

Hall said there have been 28 crashes at the intersection since 2015. He noted the speed limit on Ohio 122 has been lowered to 45 mph.

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