Wrentham

Calls for Change at Dangerous Intersection in Wrentham Grow Louder After Fatal Crash

The area of Route 140 to Wrentham Center, onto Common Street, is a tricky intersection, and residents say it's been a problem for years.

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People are sounding the alarm about a dangerous intersection in Wrentham, Massachusetts, following a deadly crash there on St. Patrick's Day.

Residents in the area say it's been a problem for years, but there's a renewed call for change after a woman was killed Friday night when a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck traveling northbound on Route 140 to Wrentham Center attempted to veer left onto Common Street, striking a Hyundai Elantra head on.

The passenger in the truck, identified as 76-year-old Julie Ann Kay, of Taunton, was flown by medical helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital Trauma Center where she died from her injuries. The Hyundai driver was taken to the same hospital with serious injuries but is expected to be OK.

Police say 80-year-old Paul Coakley was behind the wheel of the pickup truck and was not seriously hurt.

Wrentham's police and fire departments responded to the two-car crash at around 7:49 p.m. in the area of East Street and Common Street, local police said.

People who live near the intersection say there are crashes there all the time, and police confirmed it's known as a troublesome spot.

“Friends have been in accidents over there, young drivers have been in accidents over there…there’s been cars on the courthouse lawn and debris on my lawn,” said James Gaffney, who lives near the Common. "There's multiple accidents, this is just the worst one."

Chief Bill McGrath of the Wrentham Police Department referred to the intersection where the fatal crash occurred as "tricky."

“Plans have been floated to re-design this intersection over the years, I don’t know what the status of those plans are but it’s a combination of working with town officials and state DOT officials because Route 140 is a state road,” he said.

Residents like Gaffney say something needs to finally change at that intersection.

“It definitely needs to be redesigned,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s like a rotary…or just added lights but it definitely needs to be looked at."

Margie Markarian thinks it needs to extend to the light, or drivers shouldn't be allowed to take a left there.

"I think if you live here, you know about and you'd be cautious," she said, but, "Plenty of people are on that road and don't know the neighborhood."

Authorities say the crash is still under investigation and no charges have been filed at this time. NBC10 Boston reached out to the Town Administrator and to MassDOT about the intersection but has not heard back.

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