VERONA, Ky. - Preston Art says his road is a deadly accident waiting to happen, especially on icy days like Monday.
"This is the most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen on the road,” Art said.
Art has lived along Salem Creek Road in Verona for several decades and he said the road has been getting more and more treacherous. For one thing, it’s a narrow and curvy and cut into a hillside. For another, there’s nothing to stop a car that slides in ice or snow from falling down a steep embankment.
"Twelve feet over into that creek,” Art said. “Some snow and ice, somebody is going in there. Hopefully it’s not a bus load of children.”
Art suggested installing guardrails as a possible solution. So WCPO took his concern to Boone County Public Works to see about the possibility.
County Engineer Scott Pennington said many projects are complaint-driven through a service request.
“We have a traffic safety committee that meets once a month to just look at various complaints that come up safety-related, speeding-type issues, things like that,” Pennington said.
From there, the county considers factors like the amount of traffic in the area and accident data before moving forward.
“Money obviously has to be a consideration with the budget in play, but safety is obviously the primary concern,” Pennington said.
The county engineer’s office came out in the fall and installed reflective posts, but they literally didn’t stand a chance. Some of the poles have already been crashed into and smashed.
WCPO checked with the Boone County Sheriff's Office to see how many accidents have been reported along this stretch of Salem Creek Road.
The answer? Only one accident in 2016 when two cars collided and clipped mirrors.
But Art said it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Don’t fix it when it’s too late,” he said.
