Car crash on Lee Hwy at N Oak Road

[DanB]

I was heading up through Rosslyn on the way home yesterday (maybe 4:00-ish) and noticed a couple people standing on the corner of N Oak Rd with a couple bags on the ground. I rang my bell and rode past. Looking back I saw this.
(I almost didn’t take this picture, but I saw that the people had gotten out of the cars and were being cared for. Emergency vehicles were on their way.)

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[bobco85]

For more context, it was covered on ArlNow: https://www.arlnow.com/2017/05/01/car-flips-on-lee-highway-near-rosslyn/

The crash happened around 4 p.m., near the intersection with N. Oak Street. A driver heading west on Lee Highway in a grey Audi collided with an Infiniti looking to turn right from N. Oak Street. The two collided, with the Infiniti left on its side.

2 separate No Turn on Red signs are there at Oak St, too.

[bentbike33]

How did it all end up on the far side of Lee Hwy from Oak St. if it was a right turn on red? Somebody’s head trauma may be worse than they think. Looks more like the car on its side was trying to make the left turn, and one or the other blew off the red light. If the car from Oak St. blew off the light and was high-tailing it to the left turn lane, it makes sense that when the other car hit it, it would end up on its right side.

[DanB]

@bentbike33 159390 wrote:

How did it all end up on the far side of Lee Hwy from Oak St. if it was a right turn on red? Somebody’s head trauma may be worse than they think. Looks more like the car on its side was trying to make the left turn, and one or the other blew off the red light. If the car from Oak St. blew off the light and was high-tailing it to the left turn lane, it makes sense that when the other car hit it, it would end up on its right side.

I disagree with ArlNow’s interpretation of the incident, too. From the location of the crash, the car on its side appeared to be turning left onto the connector to Nash St. The car that struck the one on its side is in the left lane, and the car that was struck would have been further up the hill if it was turning right.

[huskerdont]

I passed here when the road was mostly closed due to emergency vehicles. Agree that it was almost certainly a left turn, either illegal or the other car running the light. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of people run the light for the left turn rather than wait, so I’m always slowing down as I come down the hill to that intersection due to near collisions with these chumps (and illegal right turners) more than once.

[semperiden]

Just to add to this, I think they should eliminate that left turn or at least find a way to make it more obvious that you are going against one way traffic and you have a one way lane all the way at the end.

I have been driving at night about 5 times in this area during the past year, and in 2 occasions, there have been people driving the wrong way because they missed the left turn. Which means it happens quite often. I have turned there and I can see why.

[bobco85]

I agree that the crash location and orientation do not match a right-turning driver off Oak.

This got me thinking: how necessary is it to have this one block road going to Nash St? Is it really too much to have drivers use Scott St? Drivers could avoid driving on Lee Hwy entirely since the roads are continuous between Oak and Scott.

I think simplifying this would be far safer and easier to understand.

[huskerdont]

One consideration is the Air Force Association parking garage. They probably don’t want everyone from there driving through the neighborhood to get to Lee.

[dasgeh]

@huskerdont 159415 wrote:

One consideration is the Air Force Association parking garage. They probably don’t want everyone from there driving through the neighborhood to get to Lee.

But they can just drive on Lee — there are rarely back ups there. VDOT even agreed to take it down a lane.

[Author]

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