Great Barrington — Chief William Walsh reports that the Great Barrington Police Department is investigating a motor vehicle crash that occurred in front of Monument Mountain Regional High School this morning (February 25).
According to Walsh’s statement, at around 8 a.m. police received a report that a woman driving a 2011 Hyundai had been traveling north on Route 7 (Stockbridge Road). At the same time, a southbound male student at the high school, driving a 1995 Jeep, arrived in the middle left turn lane to enter the driveway of the Monument Mountain Regional High School.
The male student did not see the Hyundai, and turned in front of the female driver. To avoid a collision, the female operator swerved to the right, driving over the center median and then over the northern median, striking a stop sign post with her passenger side rear view mirror and a portion of the passenger rear quarter panel.
The two cars did not make contact and no one was injured.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Chief Walsh said. “We remind drivers to use caution in this heavily trafficked area, especially during hours before and after school begins.”
The Police Department statement also recorded that Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin “recognizes that this is a troublesome area and is currently engaged in active discussions with the state to come up with potential roadway solutions to prevent incidents of this nature in the future.”
This is the second accident this winter at the junction of the Monument Mountain High School driveway and the busy state highway. On January 12, a two vehicle crash occurred as a student driver was exiting the driveway, and since then, town and school officials have been pressing MassDOT to come up with a solution to make the intersection safer. Among the suggestions have been the installation of a traffic light or the reconfiguration of the driveway.
According to the Police Department statement, Tabakin noted that “the Town, the Berkshire Hills Regional School District School Committee, and the Superintendent’s office are working together to find a viable traffic solution for this stretch of roadway. As this is a state road, this effort includes the involvement of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. We are also grateful to State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli for his support.”
The statement concluded: “The Great Barrington Police Department conducts traffic control in this area during peak hours. Unfortunately, this incident occurred less than five minutes after the regularly scheduled end of traffic control operations.”
Police had not yet provided the names of the drivers involved in the incident.
