CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va -- The fiery crash in Chesterfield County that claimed the lives of two teenagers Tuesday, though still under investigation, has renewed concerns about safety on Old Gun Road. A study from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) acknowledged that the road was hazardous, but changes to the roadway are not likely.
"That road has always been a concern of mine," Steve Ferguson, who has lived off of Old Gun Road since 1990, said. “I would never, ever consider walking or running on that road, and yet you see it all the time.”
He said when his children were learning how to drive, he constantly warned them about the dangers of the road.
“The narrowness of the road and the curviness of it," he said. “I don’t think there are any stop signs.”
Plus, he said drivers tend to go over the speed limit.
“Speeding! I mean they’re just going really, really fast," he said. “Something like speed bumps would really force people, even in their fancy cars, to slow down.”
VDOT said the most recent traffic study was done in 2014, and according to the Old Gun Civic Association, it came at the request of neighbors who wanted the speed limit to be lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph.
During the study, VDOT took a sample of drivers and found the average speed was 48 mph, which is 13 mph over the limit.
Major factors for crashes included speeding, driver inattention, and vehicle defectiveness.
The predominant type of crash was running off the road and hitting a fixed object.
In Tuesday's crash, Chesterfield Police said the teenage driver was traveling at a high rate of speed when he ran off the road and hit a retaining wall, causing the car to flip over and catch on fire. The driver and passenger, both James River High School students, became trapped inside the vehicle and died.
VDOT's 2014 study acknowledged Old Gun has geometry challenges, but it's likely they'll never be changed.
"We certainly agree that Old Gun Road has narrow and curvy sections and special hazards, however, these hazards remain regardless of the speed limit. The speed limit is not a 'cure' that can be expected to fix the physical shortcomings on Old Gun Road. Due to the historical nature of the area, I don’t believe roadway widening or straightening of curves will ever take place," the study stated.
VDOT found the design to be inconsistent, and curvy sections of the road can promote higher speeds that are "inappropriate in the severely curved areas."
The study said that the speed limit is based on drivers' average operating speeds under favorable conditions. However, the study also said that if the speed limit was based on the most severe parts of the road and the presence of cyclists or deer, then 15 mph may be an appropriate speed limit.
Ultimately, VDOT said it did not support lowering the speed limit because it would have minimal impact.
"A speed limit that is perceived to be unrealistic and is disregarded by drivers has no safety benefits," the study stated.
Nearly a decade after the study was completed, Ferguson said he'd still like to see improvement projects take place on Old Gun.
“It’s not a matter of the speed limit. It is a matter of being forced by the actual physical context of the road to change your behavior," he said.
CBS 6 asked VDOT for a list of recent safety projects on the road and sent additional questions related to the 2014 study. A VDOT spokesperson said they were still working on a response and will provide information next week.
As a standard procedure, VDOT will perform a safety review of the area where Tuesday's crash occurred after the police investigation is finished.
“Something needs to be done. That’s obvious," Ferguson said.
Since Old Gun Road is a state-maintained roadway, VDOT is ultimately responsible for any changes or improvement efforts. However, Chesterfield County said it does collaborate with VDOT on projects. For example, a county spokesperson said VDOT installed additional signs alerting drivers of curves in 2018 at the request of Chesterfield County.
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