What Canton Township Intersections Are Among State's Most Dangerous?

The Michigan Auto Law firm based in Farmington Hills has put together a list of the 10 most dangerous intersections in the state, and several of them – including the one where motorists are most likely to be injured or killed – are in the Tri-County area.

The firm’s attorneys reviewed car accident data from the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, which compiles Crash Reports for every intersection in the state.

“When you look at the number of reported injuries and fatalities within 250 feet of any intersection, the corner of Cass Avenue and Groesbeck Highway in Clinton Township had the unfortunate distinction of earning the top spot in 2013 for the most dangerous intersection in the entire state of Michigan,” attorney Steven Gursten wrote in a blog post.

The top 10 are:

1. Cass Avenue and South Groesbeck Highway, Clinton Township, Macomb County, 26 car accidents
2. Ford Road and Haggerty Road, Canton Township, Wayne County, 24 car accidents
3. 44th Street Southwest and Byron Center Avenue Southwest, Wyoming, Kent County, 19 car accidents
4. 44th Street Southeast and Eastern Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Kent County, 16 car accidents
5. Ford Road and Lilley Road, Canton Township, Wayne County, 16 car accidents
6. Highland Road and Teggerdine Road, White Lake Township, Oakland County, 15 car accidents
7. 14 Mile Road and Schoenherr Road, Sterling Heights, Macomb County, 15 car accidents
8. 15 Mile Road and Harper Avenue, Clinton Township, Macomb County, 15 car accidents
9. Telegraph Road and West Huron Street, Pontiac, Oakland County, 15 car accidents
10. 15 Mile Road and Ryan Road, Sterling Heights, Macomb County, 14 car accidents

There were 26 vehicle accidents in 2013 at the notorious Clinton Township intesection that involved a person complaining of injury, here are some interesting details on the number of car accidents that occurred last year:

• Of the 26 motor vehicle accidents reported, more occurred on Thursdays than any other day of the week.
• Almost half of the 26 motor vehicle accidents involved a young driver.
• The number of total accidents (including vehicle damage) for this intersection nearly doubled from 45 car accidents in 2012 to 87 in 2013.
• The number of car accidents producing injuries for this intersection also nearly doubled from 15 accidents in 2012 to 26 in 2013.

To better understand why this area in Clinton Township is so dangerous, Gursten consulted a colleague who has been with the law office for over 10 years and she lives close to the area and drives through it each day (although hopefully not anymore).

Here’s what she had to say:

“If you’re heading into Mt. Clemens from Groesbeck on this intersection and turn right, there is Mt. Clemens High School and Mt. Clemens Circuit Court. If you turn left, there is Chippewa Valley High School, the International Academy of Macomb and several other schools such as a Montessori and a pre-school, which also opens up to Romeo Plank and Hall Rd.

“Groesbeck is always treated as a highway. If you’re keeping up with traffic, you’re going at least 65 miles an hour. So whether you’re heading into the Court, work or going to school, and/or coming back from these places, this has always been a very busy intersection. I also know that the subdivision areas (off of Cass that lead into Romeo Plank or past Groesbeck) have grown in the Clinton Township area in the last five years, so this may also be a contributing factor.”

To see crash details for this intersection, click here. Keep in mind, the time frame on this page is for the past five years – you’ll have to select the year 2013 to see just last year’s numbers.

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