CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – The Charleston Police Department has released data showing the five worst locations for car accidents last year.
Mile 58 of Interstate 64 had 146 accidents in 2023, by far the most of any location in Charleston. Police say the Virginia Street, Washington Street and Oakwood Road exits are the most accident-prone sections of the interstate.
The intersection of Lee Street and Pennsylvania Avenue had the second-worst crashes, with 36 crashes.
The intersection of Washington Street and Pennsylvania Avenue was the third worst, with 34 crashes, including one fatality.
Oakwood and Pennsylvania had 27 accidents and Randolph and Pennsylvania had 23.
These numbers come from Charleston Traffic Commander Sergeant Jesse Redden. Bumper-to-bumper traffic is common in all five spots, she said, and rear-end collisions tend to occur frequently. She added that each spot is frequently encountered by people driving through Charleston from outside the city, causing road confusion.
For commuters like Mike Thomas, he says getting to and from work is much more stressful.
“Be patient and courteous. That's what we're known for here in West Virginia. When someone's trying to get in, if they've got their turn signal on, let them get in,” Thomas said. Told.
Redden says it's easier said than done, but it's important for commuters to be careful while commuting.
“Some people miss first light. It's easy to do it with a straight line of sight. They look at the other person and see it's green, and when theirs is actually yellow, they Make eye contact with pedestrians. It's also for pedestrians, make eye contact with drivers.”