Three individuals involved in a two-car crash Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Smith Ridge and Michigan Roads were taken to Norwalk Hospital’s emergency room with minor injuries, according to police.
Emergency responders were called to the scene at approximately 1:53 p.m. on a report of a car crash with injuries.
There, they found two cars with their front ends damaged: a Lexus hatchback nosed toward the northeast corner of the intersection and a Honda wagon pushed into a property on the same corner and facing south, as though it had been struck and traveled backwards.
Motorists seeking to nose out of Michigan Road while traveling westbound toward Smith Ridge Road had the sightline obstruction of this out-of-state tractor-trailer moving truck to contend with. A two-car crash occurred at the intersection on Feb. 28, 2019. Police said the tractor-trailer has been parked here for two days. Credit: Michael Dinan
It isn’t clear what caused the crash, though the operator of one vehicle was cited for failure to obey a stop sign, according to police.
In addition, a large red tractor-trailer parked just south of the intersection along the east side of Smith Ridge Road effectively blocked sight lines for northbound motorists as well as any vehicle traveling west on Michigan Road from North Wilton Road, where drivers would need to nose out into the intersection before turning in either direction or crossing Route 123—a dangerous proposition even without a large obstruction such as the truck.
The tractor-trailer had Wisconsin plates and the letter on its cab said Merchants Delivery & Storage Co. from Racine, Wisc. A police officer on scene said the truck had been there for two days.
The scene of the crash at Smith Ridge and Michigan Roads on Feb. 28, 2019. Credit: Michael Dinan
New Canaan Emergency Medical Services personnel were treating people at the scene.
New Canaan Police and New Canaan Fire Department members directed what had become a single lane of alternating traffic just north of the Michigan Road intersection as tow trucks arrived.
[Note: This article has been updated with information about the injuries sustained by those involved in the crash as well as an infraction summons issued to one motorist.]
Does NewCanaanite have any record of the # of accidents at this very intersection? It seems like one occurs here every other month or so…
Mike I don’t have that data, though the police do track these things and I could ask them for it.
Mike, If you could check with the police that would be great. If you are traveling on N. Wilton Rd. toward 123 and want to go into New Canaan, there is the option to merge onto 123 or turn right on Michigan and then left onto 123. Both options are tricky for different reasons and I agree there seem to be a lot of accidents. I have a soon to be 16-year-old who will have to start navigating that route soon. Would be great if this problem could be addressed. Thanks.
Agree, these are very difficult intersections. The North Wilton road intersection requires the driver to crane his neck at a crazy angle to see southbound traffic on 123. The Michigan road intersection has northbound traffic coming around a curve. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to safely see around a parked semi.
Oh yeah, and the speed limit is rarely observed on that section of 123.
My suggestion would be to widen the North Wilton Road intersection so that drivers wishing to turn would be more perpendicular to the flow of traffic.
It doesn’t help that the average speed on 123 in that area is about 60 mph, particularly early in the morning. Good reminder as to why the speed limit is only 40.
Why was that red trailer truck allowed to stay there 2 days? It completely blocked the view south of anyone coming out of North Wilton Rd. onto Route 123.