Police, Businesses: Butternut & Treadaway Intersection Isn't the Problem -- Yielding Is
By: Homa Bash
Updated: January 29, 2013
Chalk and spray paint mark the scene of Saturday night's deadly wreck, when 18-year-old Clayton Johnson was killed riding his motorcycle.
"I've been here 22 years, probably seen 2,200 wrecks," said Mike Maberry of Mark's Muffler Shop.
Monday morning, cars constantly rush by on one of Abilene's busiest streets and nearby business owners say it is that rush that is causing wrecks.
"I used to be the same way, always in a hurry, but now I drive defensively quite a bit," Maberry said.
But while the intersection with the stop sign at S. Treadaway and Butternut is a busy one, police say that's not the one drivers should be worried about.
"This particular intersection, we don't have as many problems as we do with the one to the south, that's the yield intersection where Butternut and Treadaway come into play," said Officer Mike Rickers of the Abilene Police Dept.
"People speed up, slow down, turn around and look to see if anyone's coming and run right into the back of the car in front of them," Maberry added. "It's really a dangerous corner."
Maberry and his shop have been at the S. Treadaway location for more than two decades.
"I've seen as many as three wrecks in an hour," he said.
The main culprit -- speed.
"Speed, impatience and carelessness," agreed Jon Alvarez, who works at Sign Pro on Treadaway.
"I take my time with everything now," Maberry said. "People just need to slow down."
A few businesses KTAB spoke with on Monday said they would prefer a stop sign at the intersection rather than the yield sign.
The Texas Deparment of Transportation, which handles signage in the area, uses the geometry of roads to figure out which one to place and stop signs are typically used at intersections with a 90-degree angle.
There has not been a traffic study done in the area recently, according to TxDot.
According to APD statistics, the Butternut & Treadaway intersection does not even make it onto the city's "Top 5 Most Dangerous" intersections.
"I've been here 22 years, probably seen 2,200 wrecks," said Mike Maberry of Mark's Muffler Shop.
Monday morning, cars constantly rush by on one of Abilene's busiest streets and nearby business owners say it is that rush that is causing wrecks.
"I used to be the same way, always in a hurry, but now I drive defensively quite a bit," Maberry said.
But while the intersection with the stop sign at S. Treadaway and Butternut is a busy one, police say that's not the one drivers should be worried about.
"This particular intersection, we don't have as many problems as we do with the one to the south, that's the yield intersection where Butternut and Treadaway come into play," said Officer Mike Rickers of the Abilene Police Dept.
"People speed up, slow down, turn around and look to see if anyone's coming and run right into the back of the car in front of them," Maberry added. "It's really a dangerous corner."
Maberry and his shop have been at the S. Treadaway location for more than two decades.
"I've seen as many as three wrecks in an hour," he said.
The main culprit -- speed.
"Speed, impatience and carelessness," agreed Jon Alvarez, who works at Sign Pro on Treadaway.
"I take my time with everything now," Maberry said. "People just need to slow down."
A few businesses KTAB spoke with on Monday said they would prefer a stop sign at the intersection rather than the yield sign.
The Texas Deparment of Transportation, which handles signage in the area, uses the geometry of roads to figure out which one to place and stop signs are typically used at intersections with a 90-degree angle.
There has not been a traffic study done in the area recently, according to TxDot.
According to APD statistics, the Butternut & Treadaway intersection does not even make it onto the city's "Top 5 Most Dangerous" intersections.
