SAVANNAH, Ga. () – A recent four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Reynolds Street has sparked renewed concerns over local traffic safety, according to the Savannah Police Department (SPD). The crash, which resulted in one car flipping over on Friday, has prompted dialogue among residents about the area’s hazards.

Footage from the scene reveals an overturned vehicle and damage to three out of the four cars involved in the incident. Fortunately, an SPD representative confirmed that there were no serious injuries sustained by those involved.

Despite the lack of severe injuries this time, local residents remain apprehensive that the next accident could have dire consequences.

Community members have voiced their concerns about the intersection, describing it as perplexing for drivers due to ambiguous right-of-way rules and high-speed traffic. Many suggest that installing a traffic light could help mitigate these issues by reducing speed and minimizing the risk of severe collisions.

Savannah Alderman Nick Palumbo, representing District 4, expressed his long-standing commitment to enhancing safety at this location. He has been pushing for improvements and recently requested a new assessment to address these concerns.

“It’s time to have Reynolds and Washington get a comprehensive overhaul,” Palumbo said. “So, I’ve requested from our traffic engineers to do a thorough evaluation of the intersection because clearly something’s not working.”

Palumbo said the city previously implemented incremental safety measures, including flashing yellow lights and signage, but those changes may no longer be enough.

“That was an intermediary measure because it just wasn’t quite to the point where there were enough crashes and data to support a full signalized intersection,” Palumbo said. “But I think that it’s there now. That’s just my method. That’s just my gut check. Clearly, even with those measures, we’re still seeing crashes and people are getting hurt.”

Neighbors also shared video showing previous crashes at the intersection and said accidents continue to happen far too frequently. From the video we received from a resident on Friday, we were only able to capture three out of the four cars that SPD officials said were involved.

“Well, cities are always growing and changing, you know, and demand is going to grow and change,” Palumbo said. “And maybe demand has grown enough that it’s time to change the intersection itself. No intersection in our city and no right-of-way, needs to be permanent forever. A lot of the rights-of-way that we have that are one-way should be two directions.”

If engineers determine changes are needed, Palumbo said the process could take time.

“It depends on how much we have to do at the intersection that’s there and how much engineering takes place,” Palumbo said. “You are looking at maybe up to six months, depending on the engineering, installing the traffic signal box, the pressure tubes that measure it. You know, this is a very thorough metric that we have to evaluate all intersections in the city.”

Palumbo said any potential improvements at Washington Avenue and Reynolds Street would fall under the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to prevent serious traffic injuries and improve safety at intersections across Savannah.