Motorist Misses Hairpin Turn, Speeds Into Golden Eagle Parking Lot

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A driver headed up the Mohawk Trail missed the Hairpin Turn completely on Wednesday and sped through the small parking lot at the Golden Eagle Restaurant and slammed into owner's pickup truck.

 

The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. and restaurant owner John Morris said it was the second time that day someone had missed the turn and ended up in his parking lot. 

 

This time, it was a small Buick Lacrosse sedan whose driver either failed to negotiate the tight turn or didn't realize it was there. He barreled through the parking lot, hit Morris' white Ford F250 and pushed it into a small shed at the end of the lot. The driver was able to back up the vehicle but it began to smoke.  

 

The driver, an elderly man, was the only occupant in the car. He was taken by North Adams Ambulance Service for medical treatment. 

 

The Golden Eagle has been the site of numerous crashes over the years, largely from trucks and vehicles coming down the steep incline. A stone wall was built to prevent cars from hitting the two-story restaurant, perched at the very tip of the hairpin.

 

But Morris said the problem is now the cars coming up the mountain who are failing to note the 15 mph speed limit and signs warning of the turn ahead. He's been putting orange cones out along his driveway as a visual reminder but had pushed them to the side today for delivery trucks to get in. The restaurant serves an annual Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds. 

 

The Buick incurred severe damage to the front end and was towed by Mohawk Towing. The damage to the truck wasn't clear but the shed's doors were knocked in and it appeared to have shifted. 

 

North Adams and Clarksburg police responded as did the Clarksburg Fire Department.