FOSTER, RHODE ISLAND — A driver is dead after an SUV drove through a stop sign and collided with a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Route 101 and Route 94 in Foster Thursday night — the third serious crash at the same intersection since April, renewing urgent calls for safety improvements at what residents and local leaders say has become a deadly problem spot.

The crash occurred when an SUV failed to fully stop at the stop sign on Route 94 before entering Route 101 and struck a tractor-trailer. Surveillance video from the intersection appeared to show the SUV slowing but never coming to a complete stop before entering the intersection.

A Pattern of Crashes

Thursday's fatal crash is the latest in a string of serious collisions at the Route 101 and Route 94 intersection. In April, seven people including four children were injured in a two-vehicle crash. In May, three people were sent to the hospital in another serious wreck. Thursday's crash claimed a life.

The intersection is currently controlled by a stop sign on Route 94, with flashing red lights for Route 94 traffic and flashing yellow lights for drivers on Route 101. Residents say many drivers on Route 94 simply do not stop.

What Residents and Officials Say

Paul Oueidat, owner of JP's General Store on the corner of the intersection, said the situation is deteriorating. "Every single time an accident, and it's getting worse than before," he said. Resident Paul Hayhurst added: "It never used to be this way."

Residents and local leaders attributed the worsening situation to a combination of increased traffic volume and unsafe driving habits. One resident pointed specifically to the growth of commercial traffic. "It's gotten worse because the traffic has really increased through the years, especially with Amazon now. You've got a lot of trucks, traffic and everything else," they said.

State Rep. Mike Chippendale said drivers are routinely ignoring the posted speed limit. "The speed limit that's posted is irrelevant because when you come out here in the morning or at night in drive time, it's a 60, 70 mile an hour clip," he said.

The Fix — and the Timeline

After the May crash, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation agreed to install a traffic signal at the intersection. However, RIDOT said designing and installing the light will take approximately one year — a timeline Chippendale called unacceptable.

"Now my job and the job of my colleagues is to put the pressure on RIDOT to get it done a little bit more quickly because we are seeing at a quicker rate more and more very serious accidents," Chippendale said.

Following Thursday's fatal crash, RIDOT told local media it is looking at ways to expedite the project. In the meantime, additional warning signs are planned for installation at the intersection this summer.

"Something needs to be done as fast as possible," Oueidat said. "They need to work on it as soon as possible instead of giving it a year of work."

Interviews courtesy of local media.

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