Residents of Lordstown, Ohio were concerned about safety at the Highland, Hallock Young intersection

Lordstown, Ohio (WKBN) – There’s an intersection in Lordstown that residents are seeing red, but village leaders are putting the brakes on any immediate changes.

They say the intersection of Highland Avenue and Hallock Young Road creates the kind of traffic conditions that residents say lead to accidents.

Residents would prefer it to be a four-way station. Currently, motorists traveling along Hallock Young have a stop sign while traffic on Highland has the right of way and is moving.

“It’s become normal now that when I hear a voice, and it’s a unique voice, I look at my wife and say, ‘What was that?’ “I immediately put on my shoes and ran outside because I know there’s been an accident,” said Brian Koper, of Lordstown.

After another accident this week, some say they’ve seen enough.

“I am very angry. I walked by when they were here and I said, ‘How many accidents is it going to take for someone to do something?’” asked Dyanna Engleman, of Lordstown.

The village says they are doing something, and the data they have pulled shows something different. Police say over the past five years, they have looked at several intersections, and
Hallock Young- Highland crossing ranks fifth in the number of accidents.

“We can’t just go out and change the intersection. I’d like to do that to make it safer right away. But there has to be a traffic study that’s being done,” said Mayor Jackie Woodward.

Like anything – the simple solution isn’t always obvious. But officials say they are considering ways to improve security in the area, including increased police patrols during rush hour.

“Other roads with more accidents than this one are intersections where there are not many residential houses in the area. So I think this one is more visible because they’re closer to him,” Woodward said.

At the same time, residents do not take their eyes off.

“I try to teach my kids to look both ways. Even if the bus driver puts his hand down, you still need to look both ways until the cars stop,” Engleman said.