Fatal crash on Highway 101 brings up questions of turn safety
A deadly accident along Highway 101 has raised new concerns about the safety along the stretch of road from Salinas to Chualar. The stretch is a commuter hotspot — and a tempting place to turn around. The commute along the section of 101 is made even trickier with the turnaround lanes placed in the middle of the freeway.
A semi using a turnaround lane in Chualar caused a crash, last Wednesday. Corrections officer, Humberto Ayala, was killed when his car skidded under a trailer the semi was pulling while it crossed the northbound 101 lanes to get to a field.
The turnaround lanes are a danger that drivers have noticed. “Extremely dangerous. Drivers get frustrated after sitting there for quite a while and they take a chance and they gun it. Just barely making it across and not getting hit,” said Armando Sandoval, a regular Highway 101 commuter.
We drove down 101 and counted the number of turnarounds from Salinas to one mile south of Chualar, where the fatal accident occurred. 8 of the 12 turnaround we passed had signs restricting trucks. A sign like this was not posted at the turnaround in which the accident took place. The California Highway Patrol said that making a left turn into a field is considered legal. They said that is exactly what the semi driver did. Although, it is not clear whether the road was clear before he made that left turn. The CHP would not say whether the semi driver faces any charges.
Turnarounds similar to the one involved in the accident, may be getting more dangerous because of what Cal Trans said is increased traffic on 101 — especially by big rigs and large farm vehicles. This is a statement CHP agreed with. “When you throw in the number of big rigs that we have in this area due to the farming, it just calls for a little more attention from other drivers, as well as the big rig drivers. They’re responsible for driving safely, as well,” said Chad Cavender, officer with California Highway Patrol.
