NEW SCOTLAND — An accident at Route 32 and LaGrange Lane here last Friday brought to light, again, how dangerous the stretch is on the state road between Feura Bush and Meads Corner; the added threat of using a handheld device while driving may have also been a factor. 

Faith Prew, 19, of Greenwich, was driving south on Route 32 and may have used her smartphone to get directions to meet her mother in Rensselaerville, according to police, before losing control of her vehicle. Her brother, Austin Prew, 17, of Vermont, was injured in the accident. Both were sent to Albany Medical Center. Austin Prew’s condition has been upgraded from critical to serious, according to a hospital spokesperson on Wednesday.

“The investigation is still ongoing,” Chief Deputy Michael S. Monteleone of the Albany County Sheriff’s office told The Enterprise on Wednesday. Charges against Faith Prew may be filed once the investigation is complete, he said.

The accident occurred two days after a weeklong effort by State Troopers to crack down on distracted driving by ticketing drivers who used devices like smartphones while behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10 percent of all fatal accidents in 2013 involved a driver identified as distracted at the time of the crash.

Two danger spots

New Scotland Supervisor Thomas Dolin told The Enterprise this week that the state Department of Transportation “recognizes that Route 32 needs to be realigned, needs to be repaved, and needs shoulders.”

In 2000, the state Department of Transportation conducted a design study on the stretch of Route 32, Indian Fields Road, between Routes 308 and 301, or Unionville-Feura Bush Road just before Feura Bush proper and Cedar Grove Road-Tarrytown Road at Meads Corner.

The town has been corresponding with the DOT since then, and sent the department another letter as recently as July of 2014.

“We’ve gotten the supervisor’s letter,” Viggiani said last year, “and are going to take a hard look at the safety of that intersection” he said of the Cedar Grove Road and Route 32 intersection. The crossroads is the site of many accidents in New Scotland, as cars fail to stop on Cedar Grove Road before entering Route 32, on which traffic travels at a minimum speed of 55 miles per hour. The DOT installed larger stop signs at Cedar Grove Road soon after.

This week, responding to Enterprise questions in an email, Viggiani said, “NYSDOT will reevaluate the stretch of Route 32 between those cross-streets, including the curve on Route 32 near LaGrange Lane, to determine if additional traffic safety measures are warranted. Motorists need to obey existing signs, drive at safe speeds and use safe driving practices, including not using mobile devices while driving.

“In addition,” Viggiani went on, “last fall, the Department installed larger ‘stop’ signs on both the left and right side of County Route 301 as it approaches Route 32 and added an intersection warning sign on Route 32 in advance of this intersection for northbound traffic, in addition to the existing sign for southbound traffic. NYSDOT is also in the process of evaluating the need for a three-color or flashing signal at this intersection.”

“That Route 32 has two dangerous spots,” Dolin said.

The site of the Prew accident on Friday is a couple of miles further up Route 32, where no work has been scheduled since 2000. The intersection of LaGrange Lane and Route 32 involves a blind S-curve below a hill.

Dolin said that residents have not asked for increased signage or mirrors at the town-owned LaGrange Lane, which ends at the state-owned Route 32 with a Y intersection.

“Our hands are tied,” New Scotland Highway Superintendent Kenneth Guyer said this week. Speaking of the causes of accidents at the intersection, he said, “I don’t think it’s the visibility. I think it’s the speed [posted for the road].” He said that Route 32 is a “twisting” road.

According to the DOT design study of 2000, there were 22 accidents at the Route 32 and LaGrange Lane intersection from 1987 to 1996. Five accidents occurred between May 1995 and 1996, “indicating an increasing trend of this type of accident as more motorist use LaGrange Lane as a cut-off to state Route 443, Delaware Avenue to Delmar and Albany.”

Guyer told The Enterprise that LaGrange Lane is the most heavily traveled town road.

“Eighty-percent or better are out-of-towners,” he said.

LaGrange Lane is a difficult road for drivers to enter as they enter from Route 32.

“The legs on that Y are short,” Guyer said. “You can only stack a few cars on that. Eliminating the Y, turning it into a T intersection, would be favorable for LaGrange [Lane]. Ninety degrees would give you the same visibility north or south.”

The allowed speed on Route 32 may contribute to traffic accidents, according to New Scotland Councilman Douglas LaGrange, who lives on LaGrange Lane.

“If it is fixed, straightened, will distracted driving happen at higher speeds?” he asked. “I don’t think straightening the road will fix all problems. It’s tough to fix things so that nothing can happen. Fixing the road would lessen these chances.”

LaGrange said that the DOT must address other high-priority projects like bridge and road repairs. When town roads have washed away and New Scotland had to repair them, he said, “The cost of these endeavors is astronomical.”

LaGrange said that local residents have suggested to him that straightening the road might lead to fewer accidents.

“It always comes up when something like this happens,” he said. “It’s frustrating. Fixing it will help, but it won’t be the cure-all, either.”

“We did ask for speed to be reduced,” Dolin said of a town request to the DOT seven months ago. “We haven’t heard.”

“New York State’s highway infrastructure is aging and our needs exceed available funding,” said Viggiani. “However, the statewide highway and bridge maintenance budget has been steady at $385 million during the last two years. 

“The New York State Department of Transportation monitors the condition of all of its roads and bridges,” he went on, “using an asset management program to maintain, rehabilitate and replace highways and bridges in order to keep them safe. The program focuses on preserving the transportation system, maximizing the amount of infrastructure in ‘good’ condition and extending the life of each asset.

“The program also ensures that investments are made at the appropriate time to maximize their cost effectiveness. Asset management provides a systematic approach for making smart investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure.”

Asked if the DOT had any suggestions that the town could do along the town-owned LaGrange Lane near Route 32 to make the two roads safer, Viggiani responded, “LaGrange Lane is a town road.  Because it intersects with a state highway, if the Town requested, NYSDOT would assess LaGrange Lane and offer any appropriate suggestions for enhancing traffic safety on it.”

“We are hoping the DOT will finally take some action — realign and repave Route 32 in the town of New Scotland,” Dolin said.