'We Need Help': Manhattan Mayor To State On Problematic Intersection

MANHATTAN, IL — The Village of Manhattan has again pressed state officials for help with an intersection that has repeatedly proven dangerous, Mayor Mike Adrieansen said Tuesday.

After a three-vehicle crash Monday afternoon critically injured one and required extrication of three, Adrieansen said officials have again contacted the Illinois Department of Transportation for intervention at the intersection of US 52 and Baker Road.

The intersection is not within the Village's jurisdiction, Adrieansen stressed, requiring assistance from the state to make change happen.

"Safety of our residents is a top priority for the Village," Adrieansen wrote. "Sadly, we have seen a rise in accidents at Rt. 52 and Baker Road."

Witness accounts told to Manhattan police relayed that a 2008 truck with a trailer hauling wood was traveling southbound on US 52, when it crossed the center line, striking a 2018 Ford F-150 that was traveling north. The truck headed southbound then jacknifed and veered off the road, coming to a rest in a grassy ditch. The impact of the initial crash flipped the Ford F-150, and sent it into a red 2018 Dodge Ram truck that had been stopped at a stop sign on Baker Road. The third truck was then pushed into the intersection, Manhattan Police Chief Jeff Wold told Patch.

The driver of the first truck was critically injured, Wold said, and others had to be extricated from their vehicles. Three were taken to nearby hospitals, Manhattan Fire Chief Steve Malone told Patch Monday. The road was closed while Illinois State Police worked the scene.

Adrieansen on Tuesday said he was again requesting that IDOT study the intersection and find a way to make it safer. It is his second attempt to reach the state, the first made in September 2022.

"Previously I sent a letter to IDOT asking for some added safety measures since this is a State of Illinois roadway and the Village has no jurisdiction at this accident-prone intersection," Adrieansen said. "Unfortunately, IDOT has not taken any action yet...."

Wold walked the scene with a Patch editor Tuesday, noting the skid marks left behind by the first driver's truck, starting just before the curve, and the trajectory as it crossed the center line before striking the northbound vehicle.

Wold could not be sure why the driver appeared to have begun braking so strongly as they headed into the curve.

The crash bore similarities to a May 2022 two-vehicle crash that killed three Plainfield men. Crosses alongside US 52 memorialize victims Giosan Garay, 21; Juan J. Bernal, 21; and Jesus Martinez, 24. Three others in a second vehicle suffered serious- to life-threatening injuries that day.

Town growth, increased traffic through Manhattan—truck and otherwise—and high speed limits on US Rte 52 highlight a need for action from the state and county, Adrieansen said. The Village previously conducted speed studies nearby, finding that speed along the two-lane roadway is "far surpassing the posted speed limit." The limit both north- and southbound through the curve is 55 miles per hour.

Adrieansen acknowledged the urgency of the situation.

"I want everyone to know we are working to get IDOT to act," Adrieansen said.

The Village has filed a Freedom of Information request with the Illinois State Police, to compile information about crashes at the site. Wold—who has been with the Manhattan Police Department for just under two years—recalls several accidents at the site during his time as chief, to date.

A problematic feature of the intersection includes the permitting of southbound vehicles to pass just north of the bridge before the Round Barn. Drivers also often exceed the speed limit of 55 miles per hour, both north- and southbound through the curve. With heavy traffic moving at high rates of speed, drivers east- and west-bound on Baker Road often find themselves with a lengthy weight to turn onto US 52, often edging out into traffic to see around the curve.

On Tuesday just after 12:30 p.m., as Wold and Patch looked at the scene, traffic was so consistent, it took several minutes to find a break long enough to safely cross the road on foot.

Adrieansen and Wold are not sure the best course of action, but suggestions include lowering the speed limit heading into the curve, placing rumble strips in the southbound lanes, a re-examination of the safety of a passing zone, better signage, and better lighting of the intersection.

"I'd like to see the state do a full investigation of all the traffic accidents that occurred here," Wold said. "Ideally, I think a traffic signal would be the best, so we're not constantly stopping traffic here on 52. Whether a traffic signal, or a flashing yellow light, something needs to be done."

Adrieansen stressed the growth of the village and influx of truck and passenger traffic.

"Our Village is located near the largest inland port of North America and in one of the fastest growing counties in the country," Adrieansen told Patch. "With this growth has come increased truck and passenger traffic that has made many roads in our community less safe. We need help from IDOT and the County to improve the safety infrastructure to keep our residents safe.

"Yesterday’s accident is another example of what the inferior infrastructure can mean for those traveling through this region."

Wold echoed Adrieansen's concerns about truck traffic, noting that officers often write up to 200 tickets per month for trucks, for violations related to weight, length, and speeding.

As troopers were at the scene at the crash Monday, Manhattan police were redirecting traffic to avoid the area. One of the drivers detoured, then was one of three cars involved in a crash at Cedar and Smith roads, resulting in minor injuries. The sequence and location of the two crashes Monday also point to the necessity of reopening Eastern Avenue from Baker to Smith roads, as another north-south corridor in and out of Manhattan.

"Opening Eastern Avenue will reduce the traffic on 52, and reduce the traffic on Cedar, and if there is a situation that would cause Cedar or 52 to close, it would give at least two ways to get out of town, heading north toward New Lenox," Wold said.

Adrieansen said some measures have to be taken to make the intersetion safer.

"I want everyone to know that we are working to get IDOT to act," he said on social media. "I know we can’t prevent all accidents, but I believe slowing traffic at the curve with a flashing light would help.

"We have many issues with increased truck traffic which is why we decided to open Eastern Ave giving residents a safer route in and out of town. The Village will continue to work to make our local roads safer for all residents and those traveling through our community."

Wold said the Village has limited course of action without help from other governing bodies, but that there has to be a solution.

"The answer is never to do nothing," Wold told Patch.