Updated: 5/21/2009 10:19:14 AM
Running east-west through rural Morgan County, Highway 62 isn't exactly an interstate.
The area sees less traffic than most urban highways in east Tennessee each day, according to TDOT.
Still, it's the main thoroughfare for Morgan County residents coming and going from Oliver Springs to Wartburg. It seems everyone who lives along the path has a Highway 62 crash story.
"Oh, I've got more like 20 or 30," Jackie Paul Bunch of Coalfield said.
"It's a pretty dangerous highway, quite a few wrecks," Travis Lyles, also a Coalfield resident, said.
One of those wrecks came right through Gloria McMahan's front yard. It's gotten to the point, when her family hears a crash, they grab a jacket and head outside to help law enforcement direct traffic along the highway.
"This highway, I wish they'd do something about it. They constantly fly through here," McMahan said.
10 News requested Tennessee's fatal crash data from the Department of Public Safety and has cross-referenced with the Department of Transportation's traffic count data.
When you look at the raw numbers, I-40 is the deadliest stretch of highway in the state of Tennessee, killing an average of 60 people annually during the past three years.
However, there are many more people traveling that highway than most of our rural roadways.
When you analyze the data looking for the highest rate of fatalities, Highway 62 in Morgan County sits near the top of that list, averaging two fatal wrecks a year.
Highway 63 in Claiborne County also took to the lives of six travelers during that time.
State Route 1 in Hawkins County saw much more traffic than the other two roads and hosted 10 fatal wrecks.
One stretch on Highway 62 near Coalfield is a section about 1.25 miles long that's seen three fatal wrecks. That kind of clustering is unheard of on other east Tennessee roads, which caught our eye.
"I never dreamed this would be the most dangerous spot," McMahan said. "It's dangerous, very dangerous"
"I think most of all it's the motoring public not paying attention, and we need to get back to the basics," Sgt. Mike Melhorn of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.
Melhorn said drivers in a rush to get to work may be partially to blame for the unusual crash numbers on Highway 62.
The sergeant himself grew up driving Highway 62 as a teenager and said now he sees not following speed limits, failing to wear seat belts, and following too closely as the main traffic troubles.
"The highway itself is well-maintained, TDOT has done a terrific job," Melhorn said.
Most drivers agree, the pavement is in pretty good shape.
THP has already increased patrols, trying to change driver's habits.
Grant money has come in, calling for more officers to patrol the stretch of highway.
"That's all they do for a four hour block is write tickets. They don't answer any other calls, any broken down vehicle calls, all they do is write tickets," Melhorn said.
He believes the extra eyes have helped. So far in 2009, Highway 62 hasn't hosted a fatal crash.
But it's not hard to see how the crashes happen.
"There will be cars passing four to five at a time," Bunch said.
10 News cameras caught a pair of motorists passing in a no passing zone coming up on a hill right in front of McMahan's house.
"Everybody passing in a no-passing zone, that's not safe," McMahan said.
While it didn't result in an accident, other cars had to hit the brakes to let the passing vehicles through.
"Best thing you can do is just do the speed limit and hope you get home safe," Bunch said.
Despite the numbers and the frequent wake-up calls, McMahan said she has no plans to leave the scene of so many crashes.
"I would but, this is home," she said.
On the other side of things, Weisgarber Road in Knox County could make a case as the safest east Tennessee road. It sees the highest number of daily travelers (16,000) without being the scene of any fatal wrecks in the past three years.
