Fatal Crash Spawns Falmouth Meeting Regarding Route 151 Safety

FALMOUTH, MA — Route 151, a 7-mile straightaway cutting through Falmouth and Mashpee, is a busy road that allows drivers to avoid much of Route 28, but according to town officials the number of crashes on the road has long been a problem.

And following the death of a 4-year-old boy in a Route 151 crash last week, the Falmouth Select Board will hold a meeting Monday to discuss safety issues along the road. The police chief, public works department and the area's three state legislators have all been invited to the meeting.

The meeting comes following a petition calling for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to conduct a highway safety evaluation along the road, especially at busy intersections like Sam Turner Road, Sandwich Road and Currier Road. As of Friday afternoon, the petition created by resident Michael Heylin has garnered more than 4,500 signatures.

"A 4-year-old boy lost his life yesterday in a car accident on Nathan Ellis Highway (Route 151)," Heylin wrote in the petition last week. "It is time we push local and state officials to put pressure on the DOT to investigate the dangerousness of this road and make necessary changes."

Public Works Director Peter McConarty told the Cape Cod Times Route 151 was studied in 2018 and the town is working on potential changes at the intersection. He also said state officials are looking into safety concerns at Route 151 and Route 28A.

According to the most recent crash data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the intersection of Route 151 and Sandwich Road ranked as the 29th most dangerous intersection in the state. In 2017, there were 41 crashes at the intersection, and 18 resulted in fatalities or injuries.

The meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday. The agenda can be found here.