A dangerous intersection turns deadly in north Fort Worth, and changes are made

Officials are making changes to a dangerous intersection after residents in north Fort Worth voiced their concerns when a father of three was killed in a recent motorcycle crash.

Several weeks ago, Fort Worth officials installed permissive flashing yellow lights for the left-turn lanes at the intersection of Heritage Trace Parkway and North Beach Street. Since then, residents have been concerned about safety after an increasing number of accidents. The “permissive” light allows motorists to turn if no traffic is approaching.

Over the last week there were three accidents at the intersection, including about 5 p.m. Friday. By the end of the night, officials had changed the yellow light to “protective,” meaning drivers can only turn on a green arrow.

The problem with permissive lights is that a motorist’s view is often obstructed by vehicles in the left-hand turn lane across the intersection. Oncoming cars and motorcycles can be hard to see and create a dangerous environment for crashes.

There have been 14 crashes at the intersection in 2017, seven of which have been in April. At least seven people have been injured and one has died. There were 23 crashes in 2016, before the permissive lights were installed at the busy intersection.

Fort Worth District 4 City Councilman Cary Moon said he had received some complaints about the light initially, but the community spoke out much louder after the crash that killed Luis Talamantes, 43, and severely injured his wife about 11 p.m. on April 21.

Kelly Talamantes lost one of her legs in the crash and has had several surgeries in the last week but “is resilient and recovering,” said Lam Tran, a friend of the family who lives near the intersection.

Tran described Luis as “a free bird” who loved to ride his motorcycle and was a football coach for the Keller Youth Association.

A Gofundme page for the family has been set up to help with medical costs. A fundraiser is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. at Chick-fil-A in the Alliance Town Center.

Doug Wiersig, director of Fort Worth’s Transportation and Public Works Department, said there are flashing yellow lights all around Fort Worth that have worked well.

“For some reason people at this location are just not paying attention,” Wiersig said.

Residents in the area thought the light was confusing.

“People don’t understand the concept of the flashing yellow light,” said Tran, 35. “So many accidents and even more near-misses have happened in the short time that the light has been up.”

Tami Yeager, 55, has lived a quarter-mile from the intersection for 13 years and said a big issue is that many young drivers in the area are not used to the flashing yellow light.

“I do think people are confused, they are waiting for the light to turn green or to turn red.”

Wiersig said some residents have already called to ask why the light changed back because they liked the flashing yellow. City officials will re-evaluate the intersection, but the light will remain a protected green turn “for some time.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2017 at 1:14 PM with the headline "A dangerous intersection turns deadly in north Fort Worth, and changes are made."