An accident occurred at the intersection of Hwy. 738 and the 127 Bypass Thursday, October 17. Alvin Thrasher was ejected from his vehicle and transported to UK Medical Center. Thursday’s accident is number six that has occurred since the new section of the 127 Bypass opened on September 30.

Mark Thrasher worked Thursday to pull a dog out of the vehicle Alvin Thrasher was in when his vehicle ran under a semi-truck trailer at the intersection of Hwy. 738 and the new by-pass. Both Alvin Thrasher and the dog are expected to make a full recovery.

Since the opening of the new section of the bypass on September 30, 2013, there have been six major accidents, none fatal, at two different intersections that have raised alarm for locals.

On Tuesday of this week, the Department of Transportation issued notice that yet another new section of the Albany Bypass is set to open next Monday, October 28.

The most recent accidents happened Thursday, October 17, at the intersection of the bypass and Hwy. 738.

Alvin Thrasher, of Albany, was traveling toward Albany on Hwy. 738 when he slowed down at the intersection and according to Sheriff Rick Riddle, a semi-truck was on him before he knew it.

Riddle said the vehicle Thrasher was operating went under the trailer of the semi-truck and ejected Thrasher from the vehicle.

Thrasher was transported to Clinton County Hospital, then to the UK Medical Center. Also in Thrasher’s vehicle was his dog, which was also injured, but both are expected to make a full recovery.

The other five accidents, three of which were at the intersection of Hwy. 738, and two at Hwy. 553, were similar in nature.

The Transportation Department has since placed rumble strips at the approaches to the stop signs.

“It’s helped a little bit,” Riddle said. “Pay attention to the stop signs and allow more time to look. People need to take their time when they are pulling out and make sure nothing is coming.”

The first accident happened on September 30 at the Hwy. 738 intersection. According to police reports, a vehicle had run the stop sign and pulled in front of a vehicle on the new bypass.

The second accident occurred October 2, also at Hwy 738, involving a pickup truck running a stop sign and pulling into the path of a dump truck traveling the new by-pass according to police reports.

The third accident occurred on October 4, 2013, on Hwy. 553. Riddle said a vehicle pulled off Hwy. 553 into the path of a vehicle traveling on the by-pass.

The first three accidents, according to Riddle, were caused when vehicles didn’t come to a complete stop at the stop signs.

Five days later, on October 9, Riddle said unit one was blinded by the headlights of a vehicle directly across the intersection of Hwy. 553. Unit one then pulled out in front of a vehicle traveling the by-pass.

On the following day, October 10, unit one was pulling out of Hwy. 738, ran the stop sign, and pulled into the path of unit two, which was traveling the by-pass according to police reports.

“Another problem I’ve seen, something we had the past couple of mornings, is foggy weather,” Riddle said. “It’s bad out there. I’ve come across the intersections a couple of times and you can’t see that far up the road. People need to take more time and look both ways to make sure nothing is coming.”

Riddle said from what he was told, the highway department is looking at installing more rumble strips in order to improve the awareness that an intersection is ahead, but no official word from the road department has been issued.

Remaining new section of U.S. 127 in Clinton County to be opened Oct. 28

The last new section of the U.S. 127 in Clinton County is scheduled to open Monday, Oct. 28. The newly constructed portion of U.S. 127 will be opened just north of the Kentucky-Tennessee state line extending approximately 1.5 miles north.

The opening of this new section changes the traffic movements from the old roadway to the new alignment from just north of the state line to just north of KY 3066.

Traffic is advised that although all sections of U.S. 127 will officially be open to traffic construction will continue in these areas. The public is urged to use caution in these areas as drivers get accustomed to new traffic conditions.

Dial 511 or log onto http://511.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You can also get traffic information for the District 8 counties at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict8 or by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KYTCDistrict8.