I am writing regarding an issue that is of great concern to many people who travel through the Rt. 290 and Rt. 544 intersection (near the Crumpton Auction). This is a very dangerous intersection.
There has already been 2 accidents there this year. The first one involved my husband when someone failed to stop at the flashing red light and stop sign.
According to an accident statistics report I obtained from the Maryland State Police, there were 9 accidents at that intersection from January 2013 to November 2013. There are several accidents there every year. If you talk to people who use this intersection, many of them they will tell you they know someone who has either been involved in an accident there, or
someone who has had a close call. There are numerous close calls there every year.
On March 7, 2015, Paul Comfort, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner, will hold a town hall meeting to address any concerns people may have. The meeting is at 4 P.M. at the Sudlersville Senior Center.
I urge anyone who has concerns about that intersection to attend the town hall meeting to discuss what can be done to make it safer.
Betty Schelts
Millington MD
Dennis Levnthal says
The 544 & 290 corner is not the only place in Crumpton to find careless drivers. On four occasions in the past 9-10 months, when I came up to the Stop sign on Deep Landing Road where it junctions with 544, eastbound vehicles made the extreme “Maryland left turn” through the Yield sign meant for those turning westbound on 544. That’s going the wrong way on a one way lane. On three of those occasions they zipped right across my bow. Rapid braking and plunging off the road to my right prevented a serious accident. On the fourth such event, the SUV sailed closely past my stern as I came to a stop at the sign. I now approach that corner at a crawl.
Joan Berwick says
I totally agree with Betty Scheltz. The Route 544 and 291 intersection is not safe as it is currently configured. I would like to see an actual article in the Spy on this issue, rather than a few letters to the editor. I would imagine that, with a little more digging, the Spy could garner even more support from historical files for the need for action from our state to make this a safer intersection. I urge as many as can possibly do it, to attend the meeting March 7.
joe diamond says
This is reasoning from a few examples!
Intersections are not dangerous………drivers fail to use proper caution.
One might ask what defines proper caution in a rural area. Still, it happens that two sloppy drivers meet and fail to avoid each other from time to time. Cloverleaf intersections in corn fields is just not the answer. Now is a good time for town hall meetings…it is warm inside….nothing much going on in mid winter. The current MD Comptroller will even show up to make a speech about the wonton loss of fenders and or life as he did for a slightly more serious event out on 301 about a few years ago.
Gotta wonder what a solution to this (minor…my opinion) problem would look like.
joe