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HERRIMAN -- After years of watching cars slam into concrete barriers on a corner, a Herriman woman says the city needs to step in.
Juniper Crest (14600 South) and 4800 West meet at a sharp 90-degree angle at the bottom of a hill. Joanne Bulnick says when it storms, cars can't stop.
Bulnick has lived near the corner for three years and says she sees several wrecks every time it snows.
"Nobody injured so far, but that's what I'm trying to prevent," Bolnick said. "It used to be entertaining to see cars coming down here and hitting the barrier, but now I'm getting more worried every time. They don't realize Juniper Crest is a hill and they don't stop before the barriers, and then they can't make the turn."
When Wednesday's storm moved in, the conditions changed at the corner quickly. Rain turned to snow, temperatures turned it into an ice rink. Motorists going too fast down the hill didn't have a chance.She set up a video camera on her back porch during the storm and filmed more than a dozen cars missing the turn. In the video, a car full of teenagers hits the barrier and leaves the car. Bulnick says the car sat there like a target for a long time until the teens came back in a truck.
She says the sheriff's office said it was too backed up to plow the road immediately, so she took some action.
"We look out our window every night because we're kind of worried," she says. "I said, ‘Well maybe if I took some video I could get some action, and maybe they can try and fix this problem for us.'"
Bolnick e-mailed the video to officials, and the city took notice.
"I'm just concerned that somebody is going to get hurt", Bolnick says. "I think there's a way to do an improvement to fix this."
Herriman Economic Development Director Nicole Martin says the city met with plow drivers Thursday morning to work out several issues, including this corner.
"Public safety is a prime concern for Herriman City", Martin says. "And we recognize that this corner can be precarious given the slope and the turn. We want to make sure our residents are safe in any weather conditions in Herriman City."
In a statement Martin said:
"While this corner is always on our radar, this storm with its cold temperatures and snow increased the hazard. Given this new information, we are now elevating the priority of Juniper Crest for increased plowing and salting, as well as adding additional reflective signage and possible modifications of the barrier placement."
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Story compiled with contributions from Logan Daniels and Keith McCord.
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