Roundabout planned for intersection in fatal New Jersey bus crash

Burlington County officials say the roundabout, which has been in the works since 2004, is devised to improve traffic flow, and it is not a direct response to last year’s crash in Chesterfield involving a school bus and a dump truck. That accident resulted in the death of one student and injuries to 17 others. A county spokeswoman tells The Times of Trenton that the county implemented several safety measures at the intersection on its own volition following the crash.

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February 19, 2013

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CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A new roundabout devised to improve traffic flow is planned for the intersection where a fatal school bus accident occurred here last year, The Times of Trenton reports.

As SBFpreviously reported, the crash involving a school bus and a dump truck killed an 11-year-old girl and injured 17 other students.

In its ongoing investigation into the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the bus “inched past a stop sign because of bad sight lines” at the intersection.

NTSB chief investigator Peter Kotowski said at the time that the school bus driver stated to investigators that he never saw the truck approaching the intersection, and that investigators found that "at some locations, the line of sight was obstructed due to environmental features of the intersection.”

However, The Times of Trenton reports that Burlington County officials have said that the plan for the roundabout has been in the works since 2004, and it is not a direct response to last year’s accident.

The roundabout will be funded by state and federal grants and built by the county. It was originally devised to keep traffic flowing smoothly and slowly through the intersection as the county anticipated new homes to be built in the area.

Burlington County spokeswoman Charlene Webster told The Times of Trenton that the county implemented several safety measures at the intersection on its own volition after the school bus crash, including bigger stop signs and signs alerting drivers of the two-way stop.

To read the full story, click here.

Topics:fatalities New Jersey school bus crash Safety

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