Accident outside of UPA leaves at least one injured, impacts students’ arrival time
UPA students witness wrecked cars while entering campus
A car accident occurred at the corner of Canoas Garden and Curtner on the morning of Aug. 19. A silver Volkswagen Beetle and a white Honda CRV were involved in the incident with eyewitnesses reporting one injury. Two adolescents involved were seen on the curb in front of the crash, though it was unclear if they were attending UPA or if they were injured. The cause of the accident is unknown, but the CRV suffered damage to its hood and bumper, while the Beetle had its left windows shattered. First responders on the scene helped to move traffic and clear debris from the road.
Students arrived late to school after the accident created heavy congestion at the intersection and obstructed turning lanes onto Canoas Garden. Students were forced to take alternate routes to enter campus. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Matt Daugherty made an announcement over the intercom during second period telling teachers to excuse tardy students affected by the traffic.
The accident on Thursday raised concerns regarding the safety of Canoas and Curtner. Eyewitness senior Arya Medapati drove past the wreckage and attributed the danger to speeding cars and poor timing of lights.
“I wanted to help [the victims] pretty badly,” Medapati said.
The intersection is frequently congested due to traffic turning into UPA and the close proximity of the 87 North and 87 South ramps. Eyewitness senior Jonathan Joseph suggested the creation of an alternative entrance to UPA in order to relieve traffic.
“This is the only crash I’ve seen in five years of attending UPA,” Joseph said. “I think it was just an anomaly.”
Safety measures are already in place at UPA to avoid congestion in and around the parking lot. This includes designated areas for parking, pickup and dropoff, with staff members directing traffic during arrivals and dismissal. In addition, a police officer is stationed at the intersection of Canoas Garden and Masonic Drive.
Daugherty says that the intersection is relatively safe in terms of traffic, and gives his sympathy towards the victims.
“I feel bad for those involved, and hope people are safe,” Daugherty said.
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