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Big trucks spell big trouble area
residents say Edgefielddaily.com web posted July 28, 2005 MERRIWETHER - Meriwether residents say the accident that occurred at the intersection of Martintown Road at Briggs and Woodlawn Roads is just the beginning of more serious accidents to follow. “Just the other day,” Mr. Elliott said, “we were talking about (the gravel trucks) and how they are flying down this road.” Chris Doying, who lives nearby, said “I see them trucks all the time with two wheels in my lane, driving on the other side of the road because they’re running so fast they can’t stay in their lane.” Mr. Doying said he would estimate their speed at 65 mph and the speed limit on Woodlawn Rd and Deep Step Road is 45 mph with most areas covered under the suggested speed of 35 due to the curves and hills the road contains. The trucks are notoriously well known in the Merriwether area, “they park on the side of the road at Sportsman’s (Corner) and you can’t see to pull out of the parking lot or Woodlawn,” one local resident said who did not want to be named. “They’ll be in there eating a hotdog and if you say anything to them they just cuss you out,” he said. Edgefield County Sheriff Adell Dobey said in previous conversations on the matter of the gravel trucks that the Sheriff’s Department had received complaints about the company. Dru Mims, who lives off Woodlawn Road said he is one of those who complained, “As far as I was concerned (the driver) was trying to kill me,” explaining a run-in he encountered with a Ray Walker Trucking driver. “I thought he was trying to hit me,” and that resulted in a call to the Sheriff’s Department. “I filed a report with Deputy Miller,” Mr. Mims said. A copy of that report was not available at this writing. Another man recounted a run-in he had with a driver from Walker Trucking, “I had one pass me on double yellow lines uphill, and in the rain,” he said. “I couldn’t see the tag number from the spray,” he said, “I tried to stay a safe distance back to keep up until I could get close enough, I sped up to 70 and he was walking away from me.” The gentleman did not want to be identified because he did not want to get a ticket for saying he was speeding. “When I caught up to him pulling into Sportsman’s Corner and he saw it was me he tried to hit me. I called the company and raised hell,” he said and though he did not make a formal complaint with police he said he did inform the sheriff of the incident and phoned in a formal complaint to the company. Mr. Doying said most of the time when he sees the trucks, “they’re always flying, there are two or three of them together, I guess they get to racing up and down through there,” he said, “all three of them will be hanging out on your side of the road.” Mr. Elliott said, “For three years I’ve been telling them to slow down.". At the scene Mr. Elliott said he was talking to a woman who was also complaining about the speed of the trucks when a man who identified himself as a Walker Truckling driver, wandering about the parking lot, overheard their conversation and came over and told them both, “F- You” Elliott said. Joel Bridges, who drove professionally for 36 years, said he too has encountered problems with the same company drivers. “I don't think they are even supposed to be on (Woodlawn Road) because the base of that road is only six inches, in order for them to travel the road there has to be an eight inch road base,” he said. Living on Woodlawn Road Mr. Bridges said he worries about family members who live across the road from him, “the way the trucks fly down the road I worry that something is going to happen eventually,” because of the speed the trucks and the short sight distance of the curvy road. In his professional opinion as a driver Mr. Bridges said, "I’d say they are going 65 to 70 before they hit the curves,” at his driveway. The roadway just below his drive had to be replaced due to the asphalt that had been pushed up by the trucks hitting the brakes hard before they crossed Big Steven's Creek Bridge just a few years ago according to residents. Mr. Mims related several occasions in which he had very close calls in the area from pulling out of a driveway, crossing, or turning into driveways along the area, “there are a lot of people out here (on Woodlawn Road) and the trucks drive it like there is no one here.” Other residents complained about the number of trucks owned by the Ray Walker Trucking Company that travel the area and the secondary, and the rural roads such as Deep Step Road, which also has received major repairs done in the last year due to damage caused by the trucks. “We have to pay for the repairs,” another man we spoke with at Sportsman's Corner said referring to county tax dollars going for road repairs, “and the main reason for so many of these repairs are caused by a company who pays no taxes here and is responsible for a majority of the work that has to be done.” The intersection of Woodlawn Road and Martintown Road, both heavily traveled by the company, is notorious for bad accidents and fatalities. The view from Briggs and Woodlawn Roads on Martintown Road is very limited due to large dips on the either side of the roadway east and west on Martintown Road. “You can’t see anything if you are crossing (Martintown Road),” a woman stated. “And at the speeds (the trucks) travel they are on top of you before you know it,” she said. Mr. Mims stated he has, “had enough,” and was thinking about placing signs along the area with the trucking company's name and a phone number for locals to complain to as well as area contact information of elected representatives, “maybe if we put enough pressure on our (elected officials) we can get something done about them (the trucks),” he said. Mr. Bridges said it was not just the big trucks that exceeds the speed limits in the area, “cars and these trucks towing boats do it too,” he said but added that, “you stand a pretty good chance car to car, but a car to one, two or three of those trucks… it’s over.” Mr. Bridges also noted the state had lowered the speed limit on Martintown Road to 50 mph and there has always been a 45 mph suggested speed posted for the intersection, something he said CDL drivers are to adhere to. “They lowered the speed limit (on Martintown Road) and the Highway Patrol stops cars and the truckers just ignore it,” Bridges said. Mr. Doying said he has reported the company to McCormick County officials as well. This is not the only intersection in the county that has complained about large tractor trailer trucks and the dangers they bring to area residents. Saundra Curry has been pleading for a traffic signal at the intersection of Bettis Academy Road and Highway 25, "how many have to die before you do something," she has told local officials. All those we spoke to mentioned Ray Walker Trucking as the trucks they complained about in the Merriwether area though there were isolated other local companies mentioned on two other single incidents of aggressive driving. In fairness, Ray Walker Trucking has not commented on the issues raised by local residents and was unaware of those quoted at the time of the comments they issued to Edgefield Daily.com. The opinions quoted represent only one side of the issue. Edgefield Daily.com will follow up with a request for comment from Melinda W. Lindberg, with Ray Walker Trucking on Friday, July 29. Return to Main Page
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