By David Kilby, Special Writer
‘You can’t be for the people, by the people and of the people and then say here’s what it’s gonna be.’ – Richard LoCascio, Chesterfield mayor
CHESTERFIELD — A lengthy discussion regarding the plans for the intersection at Route 528, or Bordentown-Chesterfield Road, and Old York Road marked some miscommunication between the Burlington County traffic engineering office and residents regarding.
The site in question is the intersection of a fatal accident between an overloaded dump truck and a school bus carrying a score of children last year.
While emphasizing the county’s plans are not final, township personnel and committee members said the most likely plan is to design a “modern roundabout” to replace the two flashing traffic signals guiding traffic through the intersection.
The tragedy of Feb. 6 occurred after an elementary school bus and an over-loaded dump truck collided at the intersection of Route 528 and Old York Road.
Twenty-five kindergarten through sixth-grade children were riding the school bus. Seventeen children were injured in the crash although the majority of those students suffered nonlife-threatening injures.
Triplet Isabelle Tezsla, 11, a sixth-grader, died in the collision.
Mayor Richard LoCascio said he’d like someone from the county to come out and give a presentation for the plans for the intersection since it would be “the biggest intersection improvement the town has ever had.”
Isabelle’s sixth-grade triplet sisters, Sophie and Natalie, were critically injured as was fifth-grader Jonathan Zdybel. All three children underwent ongoing medical treatment after the crash.
Chesterfield Township police said the collision occurred at 8:05 a.m. The dump truck struck the driver’s side rear of the bus at the intersection. The impact of the crash caused the bus to spin until it hit a pole along the roadside.
Committeeman Michael Hlubik said Burlington County did contact him last summer when he was mayor, and county representatives did make a presentation on the intersection at that time.
”When they get this to the point where they have an actual workable plan, they will be glad to present it to the public,” Mr. Hlubik said. “At this time, they’re not sure.”
However, Mayor LoCascio said that, at that point, it would be a “point of no return” where the public and Township Committee won’t have a chance to give their input.
Mr. Hlubik said this intersection project is “inherently dangerous.”
”I would assume that if we really wanted to, we could talk them out of it,” he said.
Mr. Hlubik added he was hesitant to talk them out of it only because if that happens — and if there were to be an accident at the site — the fault would fall on the township.
The parents of Isabelle filed a civil compliant against the owners of both vehicles, Herman’s Trucking Company, of Wrightstown, and GST Transport Corporation, of Southampton, in a 25-page civil compliant filed with the Burlington County Superior Court last spring.
”The dump truck was not fit for travel on the road,” the Tezsla couple stated in the complaint.
Mr. Hlubik also said Chesterfield Township has less say in the project since it’s being paid for by the National Transportation Safety Board and the state of New Jersey.
Mayor LoCascio continued to emphasize the county should come to the Township Committee and residents and explain its plans for the intersection.
”It might be the county’s intersection, but it is the community’s road and the community’s town,” he said.
Committeeman Hlubik continued to express he felt the county has done as much as it can at this point.
”If there’s anyone who’s concerned, I would suggest calling the freeholders and county engineering because that’s where you’re going to have an effect,” he said.
Still, Mayor LoCascio said the county is not giving the public enough chances to express their opinions on the matter.
”You can’t be for the people, by the people and of the people and then say ‘here’s what it’s gonna be,’” Mayor LoCascio said.
Deputy Mayor Jeremy Liedka said he’s lived on that road for 42 years and never had a close call going through the intersection.
”Dump trucks have been through the intersection tens of thousands of times — never a close call, no accidents there,” he added.
Police Chief Kyle Wilson said there has been one fatality at the intersection in the past 15 years, and the mayor said “that’s one too many.”
”The meeting after that accident, the public came in here asking, ‘What are you going to do with that intersection?’” the chief asked.
The mayor added he’d like to hear the options available and the reasons for choosing one over the other.
Chief Wilson said the meeting last summer did provide that information, but the mayor pointed out the information from that meeting hasn’t been made available to the public.
Chief Wilson encouraged the public to call the Burlington County traffic engineering office at 856-642-3720 if they have any questions about the intersection.
”There have been people who have voiced their concern,” the chief said. “They’ve heard all the rumors; ‘I hear you’re taking out three houses to put in this circle.’”
Chief Wilson said when he called the county about the intersection, officials basically answered, “‘Well, first of all it’s not a circle. It’s a roundabout. And we’re not looking to take out any houses. We’re looking at doing different things. These are the options out there.’ The county has been very receptive if you have any questions.”
If the “modern roundabout” is the option chosen, tractor-trailers will have to go all the way around the roundabout to make a right turn, thereby slowing them down, Mr. Hlubik said.
