How Safe is Montgomery's Interstate Interchange?

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By Tamika Bickham

Story Created: May 29, 2012 at 10:45 PM CDT

Story Updated: May 29, 2012 at 11:33 PM CDT

Two recent crashes at the I-85 and I-65 interchange have prompted some questions about safety in that area. Is there more that can be done to keep you safe or are the drivers at fault?

John Carotenudo has been driving a truck across the country for the last 26 years. He says he's seen his fair share of erratic driving and even death because it's happened to him.

"When I first got out here I used to drive like that. It took me about five years and I slowed down," said Carotenudo, "I've been in a fatality accident. It wasn't my fault. It was a drunk driver, but it killed someone and it slowed me way down."

While that didn't happen in Montgomery, the I-65 and I-85 interchange is also no stranger to terrifying accidents.

The latest incident was last Saturday when an 18-wheeler, carrying frozen meat, overturned.

Carotenudo says when he's seen things like this happen in his career, it's been for only one reason.

"It's strictly speed. We are in a truck and we have 80 feet of truck and we are weighing 80,000 pounds. You go around a corner and the force is going to pull it," said Carotenudo.

A spokeperson for the Alabama Department of Transportation agrees, saying 95 percent of all crashes occur because of driver error and speeding. ALDOT says there's no evidence that signals truck crashes on the interchange are typically because of anything other than excessive speeding. They say they've done almost everything they can to "provide additional warnings to drivers", placing reduced speed signs, flashing lights, and also driver feedback signs to let you know how fast you are going.

"It ain't dangerous. It's just people ain't paying attention. When you hit a curb in an 18-wheeler, of course you are going to turn because your load is going to shift to one side. When your load shifts it's pretty much ball game," said truck driver, Antonio Rogers.

Putting the brakes on these types of accidents at the interchange is now peaking the interest of city leaders.

"From our standpoint, since the questions have been asked we want to know the answers to them as well. Are there more crashes there than there have been in the past?" asked Chris Conway, Director of Public Works for the city of Montgomery.

Chris Conway says the latest accident this weekend has raised those questions.

Montgomery Police have determined that excessive speed caused the accident.

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