The new roundabout
Wayne Weems, Special to the Gazette
Thursday, April 2, 2009
On March 19, I encountered this poorly designed section of roadway for the first time and became a victim. I was driving my tractor/trailer and due to the sharp pitch of the road, my load shifted causing my load to shift which caused me to roll my truck. According to the two police officers on the scene, there have been numerous accidents in the short eight months of this road being open and they expect numerous more accidents. In over twenty years of driving, I have never had a “preventable” accident while driving a tractor/trailer. This accident also caused me to lose my contract with the company I was pulling freight for. I received a ticket for “too fast for conditions.” I have yet to figure the ticket out since the weather was clear and sunny and the pavement was dry. I guess it must have been for the condition of this roundabout.
The following day, I spoke to a lady at the Emporia Police Department who told me “they” were thinking of putting up additional warning signs to alert drivers. I don’t know if this roundabout has cost anybody their life, but with the number of accidents the city or state needs to do something soon. I have never been on a roadway that pitches to the outside of a curve rather than the inside. This roundabout has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and I will be pursuing legal recourse as far as I can take it.
I would appreciate anybody who witnessed this accident and those who have been a victim of this roundabout to please contact me. I am in contact with an attorney to see what we can do to force the necessary changes to make this a safer section of roadway.
I would also like to thank the gentleman who kicked my windshield out so I could get out of my rig. I am sorry that I didn’t get your name, but please know I am very appreciative of your efforts. I would also like for you to contact me. Wayne Weems
922 S. Chambers St.
Galesburg, IL 61401
alsrac (anonymous) says...
I completely agree with Wayne, those roundabouts are extremely poor design and the signs are not the best either, being a local and driving a regular car I had a hard time taking the right exit the first time I drove there, I can't imagine being new to the area and driving a tractor/trailer...
Shame on who is responsible for this project that took forever to be ready and when it was, it was much worse than before.
It's hard to believe that now the victim of these mess is facing tickets and is even unemployed. I hope everything turns out in your favor Wayne.
April 2, 2009 at 1:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
EsqEB (anonymous) says...
Learn to drive.
April 2, 2009 at 1:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Wayne, the ticket means you didn't slow down enough. I drive the route daily, and see many semi's negotiate the curve just fine. They are the ones that slow down to the recommended speed and use the appropriate lanes instead of running faster and using all of the lanes to compensate for their speed. The round about is not banked because it is a low speed intersection. You lost your contract because your driving skills(or lack there of)ruined a load of their products, not because of the ticket issued to you.
April 2, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Insightful comment, Everytime I come back from going to Topeka or Wichita there seems to be an accident of some sort out there, coincidence? I think not.
April 2, 2009 at 2:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
EsqEb, have you ever driven a tractor trailer? It's a lot different than a car then you add in the loaded trailer and it takes a lot of skill. I can't fault Wayne for what happened. The first time I went thru that jacked up roundabout, I was thinking, how do semis navigate this stupid thing? I still fail to see what was wrong with the old junction. When I first moved here I didn't have a bit of problem figuring it out. The roundabouts were a colossal waste of time and tax dollars. I have noticed that you now can get on and off the turnpike ok but heaven forbid you want to use US 50. Were they trying to get more tolls or what? The only real difference I have noticed is that you have to go thru a roundabout for 50. Gee, what an improvement! I hope that things go your way, Wayne.
April 2, 2009 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
This design is a disaster and, although I too am a local and have driven it before, I avoid it whenever possible. I pity the semi-drivers who HAVE to navigate this mess. I would imagine the only way to get through there with a trailer would be to slow to a crawl and hope for the best. As for you, Wayne, good luck.
April 2, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
What percentage of the semis that use the roundabouts turnover? What percentage of the semis that use a "T" intersection run the stop signs?
April 2, 2009 at 2:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
I avoid this mess when I can,too.The signs say 15 mph.Not if your in a hurry, do whatever your vehicle and load might be able to handle.Most of what I see there,or here about is because of too high a speed.The high school kids think the roundabout there is a green light skid-pad just for them.
That said-Try running a military heavy transport rig through some of the poorly laid out roads.I don't envy someone driving for a living,or commuting like I did.Until the lower speeds are better posted and enforced,we all have to treat this like a fork truck on a crowded factory floor or a hospital parking lot with pedestrians.Slow it down.
April 2, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
"Everytime I come back from going to Topeka or Wichita there seems to be an accident of some sort out there, coincidence? I think not."
Is it the road or the lousy drivers? Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of roundabouts, but it still boils down to the people at the wheel causing all of the accidents. There are drivers out there who would manage to total out their vehicle if it had a governor to retard the speed, wrap around rubber bumpers and followed a guided track that didn't allow them to change lanes. People need to slow down and pay attention and the accident numbers will go down, but of course it's easier to fault the road and other drivers.
April 2, 2009 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Happiness09 (anonymous) says...
I've lived in Emporia for 20 years and have never seen such a mess as that billion dollar roundabout. I can't even figure out where to go. Since when are ROUNDabouts suppose to be OVALabouts. Poor designing isn't even the word. This is just ****** up.
April 2, 2009 at 3:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YaHooSis48 (anonymous) says...
Wayne: My husband has driven a cattle trailer for 43 years and has never lost his load or had it shift. Then again he is very professional. Say, did you notice that 15 mph speed sign. The only reason your load shifted is because you were going tooooooo fasssst! Yes, it does tilt a bit the wrong way for drainage purposes, but I can guarantee your accident would not have happened if your speed had been appropriate. Driving a truck is all about safety and protecting the public.We might be a bit safer now that you are off the road!
April 2, 2009 at 6:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
I wouldn't be so quick to judge Mr. Weems unless you have driven a big rig. I have yet to figure out what the benefit of this project has been, other than it made the previous landowners alot of money, and a contractor or two alot of money. The first time I encountered this "improvement" in a car I felt it was a terrible design. More government at work, as far as I am concerned, spend alot of $$ and don't get much for it.
April 2, 2009 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YaHooSis48 (anonymous) says...
Now if anyone from the state of Kansas is out there . . . . we would recommend a larger sign and maybe yellow flashing lights as the sign that is on the roundabout is not large enough.
April 2, 2009 at 6:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YaHooSis48 (anonymous) says...
Alfalfa: I've spent 40 years in trucking myself,owned a local company and driven trucks, so I speak with allot of experience. Wayne will find he doesn't have a leg to stand on legally.Believe me, I've dispatched enough drivers who have done stupid things to know. SPEED is the demon here and a lack of ability.
April 2, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
howdo (anonymous) says...
As a witness to the accident, I agree that speed was the cause of the rollover. This was also evident by the skidmarks left by the truck, which I am sure the P.D. took pictures of. I also helped to unload the trailer load of cargo, and let me tell you that it was packed in there so tightly that there could not have been much, if any room for it to shift. Admit the fault for "your" mistake, pay the consequences, and be thankful that you were not injured. And yes, I do have a commercial drivers's license and drive "big rigs" through this very roundabout with no problems.
April 2, 2009 at 7:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
I go through that roundabout at least twice a day, many more somedays. I saw the wreck and speed was an obvious cause. Personally I think they are much more efficient than a stop sign or red light. YOU JUST KNOW HOW TO DRIVE NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION. I haven't seen any wrecks there other than his, however that doesn't mean there haven't been more. People are confused by them but we might as well get used to it.
And yes I have driven and still do drive a truck.
And maybe the cops spoke out of turn about the number of wrecks.
April 2, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USNretired (anonymous) says...
This is just one more reason I will be putting Emporia, Ks in my rearview mirror. What is wrong with the so called planners around here? The turnpike and the roundabout are both major cluster f*cks planned without enough input from commercial drivers. Reminds me of a certain ban without enough input from business owners.
April 3, 2009 at 5:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Did those of you that witnessed the accident leave your contact info with the police? I want to say they were asking for witnesses on the radio recently. I wasn't there so don't know what happened. I think it is poorly designed and very poorly marked. I've seen lots of truck drivers and some are good, some bad, some average, just like any driver. It sucks that he lost his job over one incident in today's economy. I hope he can find work soon. I fail to see a big improvement out there by the new design. Especially considering the hassle for what, 2 years?, and millions of tax dollars spent on it.
April 3, 2009 at 9:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
one question....how many cars and trucks navigate all three roundabouts in emporia without any incident, accident, or issues every day? i would say unless there is some kind of vehicle malfunction, it's an individual driver's fault when they have an accident with only one car involved
April 3, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
77flint (anonymous) says...
O PA!! Nao Puedo Manejar!!
April 3, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spensanity (anonymous) says...
Our family has avoided the big new roundabout since it opened. We have been using the Admire interchange since they started all of the construction. We will continue to use it since the roundabout is dangerous. (Dangerous--- not because it is a roundabout, but because a lot of drivers have NO IDEA how to use them!)
April 3, 2009 at 11:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Joe_Strummer (anonymous) says...
There is nothing wrong with the design of the roundabout. They increase efficiency regarding traffic flow and are generally a time safer in areas with congestion.
April 3, 2009 at 1:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )