Crash Causes Concern Over Norman Intersection

Four people are recovering after a fiery, rollover crash in Norman. And now, there are safety concerns among neighbors about the busy intersection where it happened.

At 36th Avenue NW and Franklin Road, Norman police said a red Jeep and a white BMW collided on the afternoon of September 17.

Casey Lowry, 18, said his jeep was hit and rolled five times. “I remember looking up and I saw the ground,” he explained.

Casey's dad, Russ, happened to pull up on the crash minutes after impact. He quickly recognized the crunched vehicle and ran to his son, who was lying on the ground.

Twice in the last two and a half years, Ward 8 Councilman Kyle Allison, said he asked the City to look at the intersection. But Allison said back then, data did not warrant a four-way stop.

There are only stop signs on Franklin Road, which runs west to east.

“We look at data and it says what you should and shouldn’t do. But sometimes you have to look at the real life scenario and go out there and see the sight lines, see the traffic, see if people are obeying. There are speed limits, but not everyone obeys the speed limit,” said Allison.

After Sunday's crash he said City officials immediately started investigating the intersection's safety. He expects they'll have a decision on a possible fix in the next few weeks.

“We don’t know that it would’ve stopped it this time. But next time it might be the difference in someone dying or someone stopping at a four-way stop sign,” said Russ Lowry.

Police said all four people involved in Sunday’s crash suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The official cause of the crash is still under investigation. According to Norman Police records, it was one of 24 in the area of the intersection since 2012.