Montville's Dangerous Emergency Highway Crossovers: Should They Be Removed?

Just a few months ago, I was driving on Interstate 395 Northbound in Montville when an unmarked cruiser with lights quickly pulled into the passing lane from an emergency vehicle crossover only a few car lengths ahead.

I watched as the vehicle cut in front of another vehicle so he could change lanes to get off at the State Police Troop E barracks. If I had to brake suddenly because of him, I could have been rear ended. There was nowhere else for me to go with a guardrail on my left and another vehicle on my right. I thought nothing more of this until recently when, on March 9, a fatal accident happened at the same location.

The Bulletin reported that Willis Goodale was under the influence of alcohol when he exited the Montville Rest Area Mobil gas station. He crossed two southbound lanes so that he could use the crossover. As Goodale was crossing, he hit Benjamin DeMond.

DeMond lost control of his vehicle and drove through the crossover and into northbound traffic where he passed away after getting hit head-on by Andrew Crouch. Three people were injured in the accident, Crouch and DeMond’s son’s Nicholas and Alexander.

My heartfelt condolences go out to DeMond’s family and friends during this difficult time. While I support stronger legislation to combat drunk driving, I also advocate making safety changes to our highways.

Whether you are a police officer, maintenance worker, or an unauthorized driver, how can you safely accelerate and merge to traffic going up to 80 miles per hour, especially if you are soon exiting the highway?

Montville has three other highway crossovers, two on I-395 (north of exit 79A and south of exit 79), and one on the Route 32 connector past the exit 78 on-ramp. Why is  this necessary considering the close proximity of three highway interchanges?

I can understand having crossovers on highways like the Massachusetts Turnpike where exits are many miles apart. Some rural states have gates so that unauthorized vehicles cannot use them. Authorized vehicles can electronically unlock the gates. Yellow lights flash above nearby highway signs alerting drivers of approaching emergency vehicles.

There are no emergency vehicle crossovers near the Troop F Barracks or rest area in Westbrook on Interstate 95. Perhaps we should follow the lead of our shoreline neighbor. 

Patch readers: Please share your thoughts on the I-395 emergency vehicle crossovers. If you were involved in an accident, or a witness to one, on an I-395 crossover, please share your experience.