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Two-Car Accident at Clarksburg Intersection
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Four people escaped serious injury Thursday after another accident at the dangerous intersection at Route 8 (River Road) and Henderson Road.
The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. when a northbound late model Ford sport utility vehicle collided with a red Chevrolet pickup truck exiting from Henderson Road.
There were three people in the Ford, the driver, another adult and a child; the pickup contained only the driver. No one was injured.
According to Police Chief Michael Williams, the driver of the pickup had stopped at the stop sign and had checked for traffic before crossing Route 8 toward Middle Road.
The Ford was unable to stop in time and clipped the rear of th3 pickup on the driver's side. Williams said there was no indication that speed was a factor in the crash, but rather the configuration of the intersection, which has seen a number of accidents.
Drivers exiting from Henderson Road have a difficult time seeing northbound traffic because of the highway's higher grade to the south and a banking that obstructs the view. Motorists heading north often can't see any traffic until they begin the descent a few hundred feet from the intersection.
The town has complained to the state Department of Transportation a number of times about the intersection, which has had at least one fatal in recent years.
Williams said it appeared the driver of the Ford, from Lanesborough, was unfamiliar with the roadway and was doing at or about the 45 mph speed limit as she approached the intersection. She apparently hit her brakes, because he estimated the impact at about 20 mph.
No one was cited in the accident.
The Ford sustained damage to its front end and the driver's side front fender; it was towed from the scene by Cariddi Auto; the pickup, which sustained damage to the rear of its bed, was able to drive away.
Traffic was slowed but not detoured; Clarksburg Fire Department and North Adams Ambulance responded, state police assisted with traffic.
