Indianapolis creates Fatal Crash Review Team to evaluate road dangers

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A five-person Fatal Crash Review Team will soon begin work to evaluate dangerous streets and intersections where deadly crashes have happened around Indianapolis.

Dan Parker, the director of the Department of Public Works, told News 8 on Thursday night, “A lot of this comes down to driver inattention; a lot of it comes down to what drivers are doing out there post-pandemic. People are driving faster.”

The team is part of Indianapolis’ Complete Streets Ordinance. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will appoint one member, the Department of Metropolitan Development will select another, Public Works also will have a representative. Bicycle safety advocate Damon Richards was named to the board Thursday by the Public Works Commission. The Indianapolis City-County Council will appoint a fifth person to the board.

The Public Works director describes the team’s duties. “Folks gather information about the specific area, analyze it, and there would have to be a public meeting that would be publicized.”

The board could recommend changes for an intersection or road where a fatal crash happened.

Parker said, “There would have to be formal recommendations if there are some environmental factors that need to be looked at, whether it be trees that need to be trimmed back, whether there needs to be a traffic light installed, sidewalks installed, or bump-outs or crosswalks.”

Even though a poorly designed road may not be the cause of every crash, the board is another tool city officials can use to keep the streets safe.

“Any fatal crash that we can prevent is just one more person that we keep safe,” Parker said.

This board is only designed to review crashes that have already happened.

People who are want to voice their concerns about dangerous intersections can call the Mayor’s Action Center.