School Board Doesn’t Care about the Safety of Students at Fallston Elementary School!! Nine Injured at Fallston School Exit just a few Days ago and NOTHING on the Monday Board Meeting Agenda!! Report by Robert A. Williams

According to the Star and my article last week, an accident involving school children and parents occurred at the exit of Fallston School and East Stagecoach Trail in a 35 MPH zone. The accident occurred at school closing time and heavy traffic occurs right there twice every school day. It was an accident that was waiting to happen and it finally happened. An if nothing is done, it will happen again. Sooner or later. An eye witness said there was a screech of tires followed by a very loud crash as the two vehicles collided. Both airbags deployed in the vehicle travelling East on Stagecoach Trail. It was apparent that speed was the factor that turned a would-be minor fender-bender into a crash that sent 9 to the hospital for treatment.

One would certainly think that a school board meeting after such an injurious accident would have the very first thing on the business end of the meeting agenda a report by somebody about this accident and what could be done to prevent or mitigate such accidents in the future. It is a fact that the dual exit lanes from Fallston School are curved like a mountain road-for the purpose of controlling speed on school property without using speed bumps. However, at the intersection where this accident happened, the two one-way lanes both have Stop signs. Of course, with two cars sitting side by side, and a lot of pick-up trucks being the vehicle of choice, this represents one or the other of the vehicles blocking the vision of oncoming traffic for the other vehicle.

Was this blocking of vision by the School designed exit a factor in this accident? Apparently the school board doesn’t care to know.

And, Williams, just how do you know that? You might ask. Well, the Monday March 11, 2019, is the first school board meeting since that accident and the meeting agenda has absolutely nothing regarding the accident. On top of that, my original article about this accident listed a number of things that could be looked at by the school board and others in regard to the accident. I did that to prompt the deserved interest of what appears to be a stupid school board. And I sent advanced to every school board member, superintendent and the Sheriff’s Department.

And, I am probably the most aware person in Cleveland County and the State of Nort5h Carolina and the USA too about the traffic conditions at Fallston School. I live right there and I see the traffic twice every school day and in every weather condition. I have traffic backed up from the school, through the stoplight and all the way down to the old BB&T Bank on especially bad days. Just trying to make a turn into Fallston School. I have occasionally been stopped in traffic myself right in front of my house. Dead stopped. I have occasionally just abandoned my car in the traffic jam, carried in my groceries or whatever, and then retrieved my car to make the turn onto School Road and into my parking area. I have watched as some drivers bring books, newspapers or magazines for that very same reason. Except they get caught in traffic every day. I try to avoid leaving or coming home during such times.

Of course, I am sure the School Board doesn’t care if I am inconvenienced by bad traffic control at Fallston School. But I would have thought the school board members up for re-election in 2020 would have good enough sense to show some interest in this situation. But they don’t. I say good-by Shearra Miller, Jo Boggs, Richard Hooker, Phillip Glover and Roger Harris at next November’s election. Maybe a new set of school board members with take a little more interest in the health and safety of our children and their students.

Also folks, if you forget about this accident by next November, don’t worry. I will remind you.