If you drive in Martinsburg, West Virginia, you already know this intersection. Foxcroft Avenue and Apple Harvest Drive are one of the busiest spots in the whole Eastern Panhandle. Almost 27,000 cars and trucks use Apple Harvest Drive alone every day. Traffic studies have already marked this spot as a high-crash location. Engineers say it needs new turn lanes, better traffic light timing, and a new design. That work is not done yet. So here is what to watch for in the meantime.
Too much traffic in too small a space
Ramps from I-81 feed right into this intersection. Shoppers, workers, and big trucks all share the same small space. There are many places to turn in and out. One traffic light after another. When cars stack up at those lights, they block the intersection. Big trucks swing wide when they turn, squeezing the drivers next to them. Some drivers get tired of waiting and run the red light.
A train, a highway, and a crosswalk problem
A railroad crossing sits just a few yards from the intersection. Every time a train goes by, traffic backs up fast. I-81 adds to the trouble. When the interstate slows down, drivers cut through here instead. Many of them do not know these roads at all. People on foot have it worse. They cross on a green light while cars turn right through them. The sidewalks and crosswalks do not line up well either.
Drivers here come from all over
Martinsburg sits in the middle of a busy travel route. Lots of people live in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle and drive to work in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Trucks run up and down I-81 all day long. So, the driver next to you may be a truck driver from far away, a worker from another state, or a neighbor running errands. They do not all know how this intersection works.
The kinds of crashes that happen here
The crashes at this corner follow a pattern. Rear-end crashes happen when traffic stacks up at the lights. Turning crashes happen when a driver misjudges a gap, or when a truck swings into the next lane. Red light crashes happen when someone runs out of patience. And pedestrians get hit while crossing. Even a low-speed crash here can leave someone with a lasting injury.
What engineers say this intersection needs
Traffic planners have studied this spot for years. Their reports call for new turn lanes, better traffic-light timing, and redesigned approaches, so cars aren’t all fighting for the same space. Work like that takes time and money, and none of it is in place yet.
Hurt in a crash at Foxcroft and Apple Harvest
A crash at a busy intersection often comes down to who had the light and who had the right of way. The police report, photos from the scene, and what witnesses saw usually answer those questions.
Our Martinsburg car accident lawyers and truck accident attorneys have helped hurt people in Berkeley County for many years. A lawyer can look at your case, tell you what it is worth, and fight for you every step of the way. Contact us for a free talk about your case.
Watch our Most Dangerous Intersections series to see more roads like this one. Please share it with your family and friends. Young drivers need it the most.