CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The new four-lane U.S. 35 in Putnam County, built in-part so motorists could avoid what had become a dangerous stretch of the previous two-lane highway, claimed its first life last week.

On July 4, Wilma Leslie pulled onto the new U.S. 35 off of Hurricane Creek Road and was struck by an oncoming pickup.

Leslie, 80, of Winfield, a founder of Leslie Lumber Co., was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington where she later died.

The collision came in the wake of multiple complaints and concerns expressed by Putnam County officials and citizens about Hurricane Creek Road and several other county roads that intersect the new U.S. 35, with only stop signs to control traffic coming onto the highway.

Leslie's death was the first fatal accident on the new highway since it opened less than a month ago, but she is, by far, not the first West Virginian to be seriously injured or die at an at-grade crossing.

Similar intersections are used on Appalachian Corridor highways across the state.

There are about five county roads that intersect the new U.S. 35 in Putnam County, all with stop signs controlling traffic coming onto the four-lane corridor. The speed limit on the highway is 65 mph.

"It's been a concern that has been raised in [Putnam County] transportation committee meetings for quite some time," county manager Brian Donat said. "The Board of Education has addressed the issue. They're concerned about school buses having to cross the intersection. Our emergency-service person has raised concerns about that intersection, and the local citizens have raised concerns."

On July 4, Christopher J. Crouser II of Pliny was driving a Chevy pickup and was heading south on U.S. 35 with his father when he hit Leslie's vehicle, according to the accident report filed by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department.

Crouser was not cited with any violations in the collision, according to the report.

Leslie was driving west on Hurricane Creek Road and stopped at the intersection of U.S. 35.

It appears she did not see Crouser's vehicle, and pulled out in front of him. He collided with the passenger side of her car, according to the report.

"You have crossing roads on corridor highways all over the state," Putnam Sheriff Mark Smith said Thursday. "It's a sad thing that this happened, and it may happen again, but it's just something that the engineers and people ... with the Department of Highways might take a look at."

During the design phase and construction of the new four-lane road, county officials had approached the DOH about putting an overpass or stoplight at the intersection of Hurricane Creek Road. The DOH denied their request because projected traffic studies did not show a need for either a stoplight or interchange, said Cindy Cramer, acting director of the DOH Traffic Engineering Division.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The new four-lane U.S. 35 in Putnam County, built in-part so motorists could avoid what had become a dangerous stretch of the previous two-lane highway, claimed its first life last week.

On July 4, Wilma Leslie pulled onto the new U.S. 35 off of Hurricane Creek Road and was struck by an oncoming pickup.

Leslie, 80, of Winfield, a founder of Leslie Lumber Co., was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington where she later died.

The collision came in the wake of multiple complaints and concerns expressed by Putnam County officials and citizens about Hurricane Creek Road and several other county roads that intersect the new U.S. 35, with only stop signs to control traffic coming onto the highway.

Leslie's death was the first fatal accident on the new highway since it opened less than a month ago, but she is, by far, not the first West Virginian to be seriously injured or die at an at-grade crossing.

Similar intersections are used on Appalachian Corridor highways across the state.

There are about five county roads that intersect the new U.S. 35 in Putnam County, all with stop signs controlling traffic coming onto the four-lane corridor. The speed limit on the highway is 65 mph.

"It's been a concern that has been raised in [Putnam County] transportation committee meetings for quite some time," county manager Brian Donat said. "The Board of Education has addressed the issue. They're concerned about school buses having to cross the intersection. Our emergency-service person has raised concerns about that intersection, and the local citizens have raised concerns."

On July 4, Christopher J. Crouser II of Pliny was driving a Chevy pickup and was heading south on U.S. 35 with his father when he hit Leslie's vehicle, according to the accident report filed by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department.

Crouser was not cited with any violations in the collision, according to the report.

Leslie was driving west on Hurricane Creek Road and stopped at the intersection of U.S. 35.

It appears she did not see Crouser's vehicle, and pulled out in front of him. He collided with the passenger side of her car, according to the report.

"You have crossing roads on corridor highways all over the state," Putnam Sheriff Mark Smith said Thursday. "It's a sad thing that this happened, and it may happen again, but it's just something that the engineers and people ... with the Department of Highways might take a look at."

During the design phase and construction of the new four-lane road, county officials had approached the DOH about putting an overpass or stoplight at the intersection of Hurricane Creek Road. The DOH denied their request because projected traffic studies did not show a need for either a stoplight or interchange, said Cindy Cramer, acting director of the DOH Traffic Engineering Division.

Projected traffic studies were conducted during the design phase, then again during construction of the 14-mile highway, Cramer said. The DOH is now conducting another traffic study on the actual volume on the road, she said.

The DOH can warrant putting in a stoplight or an interchange only if a certain amount of traffic, as specified by the federal government, is projected at an intersection, she said.

U.S. 35 is similar in design to U.S. 119 in Charleston and points south, but several stoplights are spread out along that corridor.

"The traffic on 119, at most of the [traffic] signal locations, is much higher than what you would see on U.S. 35 right now," Cramer said.

The DOH has installed stoplights along U.S. 119 as businesses and traffic have increased on the corridor.

"When we design high-speed-access facilities that have a mix of interchanges and intersections, the idea is to keep traffic moving," Cramer said.

When traffic stops, that's when collisions are more likely to happen, she said.

"When you look at signal intersections versus unsignal intersections, the crash rates are significantly higher on a four-lane corridor [with signals]," she said.

"It does seem odd but ... accidents are about five times higher on a four-lane facility with signals," she said.

Donat said the county has asked the DOH to consider putting in flashing warning lights at the Hurricane Creek Road intersection.

Cramer said the DOH is continuing to review the issue, and warning lights are an option. She said the DOH should make a decision within the year.

Hurricane Creek Road connects the old U.S. 35 (now U.S. 817) in Fraziers Bottom to the city of Hurricane.

The next Putnam County transportation committee meeting is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. July 27 in the county courthouse.

Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.