Dangerous Atlanta Intersections: Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road

When Dave Huddleston of WSB-TV conducted an investigation into the most dangerous intersections in Atlanta, Mark Arum of WSB Radio wrote in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that despite his 18 years of covering traffic in the city, he was only able to guess three of the top five intersections. Stunningly, one of the intersections he did not guess was the intersection that was listed as the one with the most crashes: Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road.

As the largest city in Georgia, perhaps it was not surprising when Business Insider later reported that Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road was actually the most dangerous intersection in the state. When WSB-TV conducted its investigation, it found that the 22 crashes in one month at Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road were the most of any intersection in the city.

DeKalb County Code of Ordinances § 17-354 establishes that the speed limit is 45 miles per hour for both Memorial Drive (Georgia Highway 10) from Covington Highway to Goldsmith Road and North Hairston Road from Rockbridge Road to East Ponce de Leon Avenue. Both of these stretches include the intersection of Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road.

Speeding violations are frequently a factor in many crashes, but there are several other possible issues at or near this intersection.

People may be entering or exiting various food establishments located north of Memorial Drive, such as Little Caesars Pizza, Waffle House, Checkers, Panda Express, McDonald’s, and Burger King. Similarly, there are two gas stations, Exxon and Chevron, located just south of Memorial Drive that are also high-traffic areas.

Over the past few years, there have been many major crashes at Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road. On October 12, 2017, WXIA-TV reported that a pedestrian was struck and killed near Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road. On September 15, 2016, WAGA-TV reported that 13 people required hospitalization after a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus accident on Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road.

Distracted driving is another common cause of accidents on Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road, as many motorists are using smartphones or other devices while driving. While the Hands-Free Georgia Act that became law on July 1 requires drivers to use hands-free technology when using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, people are still allowed to use global positioning system (GPS) or other mapping apps and hands-free technology to send text messages or talk on the phone.

Contact Us for Legal Help After a Car Crash in Georgia

The Atlanta car accident lawyers of The Champion Firm know just how dangerous our city’s intersections can be, and how suddenly collisions can alter your life. Our team of aggressive personal injury trial lawyers fights to protect those who have been hurt by the negligence of others.

If you were hurt in a crash at Memorial Drive and North Hairston Road or anywhere else in the Atlanta area, contact us for help. Schedule your free consultation by calling us or contacting us online today.