State Road 135 Car Accidents in Greenwood Highlight Common Dangers

If you live in Greenwood, you already know State Road 135 by feel, not just by name. When you can help it, you might even try to avoid it altogether during certain times of the day and week, because traffic is often bumper to bumper, and pulling left out of a side street or a shopping center feels like a leap of faith.

As a longtime central Indiana resident, attorney Matt Boulton has represented Greenwood accident victims for more than 30 years, and during that time he’s witnessed State Road 135 evolve from a simple connector road into one of the busiest stretches of pavement in Johnson County.

Greenwood’s population and number of local businesses have grown by leaps and bounds in the last several years, leading to more vehicles on the roadways and a host of new traffic patterns. Unfortunately, it can be argued State Road 135 hasn’t exactly kept pace with local expansion, and the number of crashes in both directions, north and south, supports this claim.

Attorney Boulton’s blog article breaks down why State Road 135 continues to be the site of so many car accidents, where the worst stretches are, what local officials and INDOT have done about it, what to do if you’re hurt in a crash, and the importance of having an experienced Greenwood personal injury lawyer on your side.

Why Is State Road 135 So Dangerous for Greenwood Traffic?

State Road 135 runs north and south through the heart of Greenwood, feeding into US 31 and connecting the city to Indianapolis. Over the past two decades, the corridor between County Line Road and Stones Crossing Road has filled in with large retail centers, medical offices, and dense residential growth. Greenwood planning documents identify State Road 135 as one of the city’s primary thoroughfares, carrying a volume of traffic the road’s original two-lane design was never built to handle.

The primary problem comes down to volume and design. Far more vehicles use State Road 135 today than its original designs ever intended, and the driveways, side streets, and retail entrances that have popped up along the way have added dozens of additional points where drivers have to merge, cross, or turn against traffic that isn’t slowing down (or seeing!) them.

State Road 135 Stretches and Intersections That Cause the Most Problems

While the potential for a serious crash exists anywhere along State Road 135, not every section is equally dangerous. Certain locations show up again and again in the news, local crash reports, and city safety discussions:

County Line Road to Fry Road

This section of the road sits at the north end of the corridor, where State Road 135 meets some of the heaviest commercial traffic in Greenwood. Much of this can be attributed to County Line being used as a popular thruway for drivers heading to or from Interstate 65 and Interstate 69.

This particular stretch of road also features a heavy contingent of local businesses and a large number of vehicles that regularly attempt to turn against traffic to access the opposite lanes of Sate Road 135.

Additionally, a long-term INDOT project treated this stretch as a priority for infrastructure work, including recent bridge deck work between County Line Road and Fairview Road that restricted turning movements at Fry Road during construction, a sign of how much conflict that intersection already generates.

Main Street, Smith Valley Road, and Olive Branch Road

If you’re a nearby resident or frequently travel on State Road 135, you have likely heard or seen firetrucks and other emergency vehicles responding to a crash at one of these three busy intersections, and the potential for more collisions only seems to be growing.

Due to the volume of auto accidents seen at these intersections, all three have been the focus of city and state safety improvements, including added crosswalks, because of how frequently pedestrians and turning vehicles cross paths with through traffic at these locations.

Stones Crossing & Worthsville Road

As commercial development has pushed south along the corridor, this stretch has taken on more stop-and-go traffic and more turning conflicts from new retail entrances.

One of the more recent developments is a massive multi-sport facility named The Ark, which is located just south of the State Road 135 and Stones Crossing intersection. Given the size of the complex and its potential to draw patrons from near and far, this area is bound to see an uptick in traffic and congestion.

In addition to The Ark, there are also plans for more retail centers and businesses that are soon to make their home near this intersection.

Curry Road and Honey Lane

Residents in the neighborhoods near these access points have raised safety concerns for years, and both areas have been the site of serious car accidents that have seen victims sustain traumatic injuries, with some collisions proving to be fatal.

This particular stretch of State Road 135 has been known to be an area where drivers travel at speeds well above the posted limits. In a number of these accidents, a vehicle is either t-boned or hit broadside while attempting to turn onto or off State Road 135.

If you were involved in a car accident at any of the locations listed above, you’re right to assume State Road 135 has unique dangers that pose an increased risk to drivers and pedestrians.

Despite these concerns, attorney Boulton also stresses the importance of acknowledging the fact that accidents can and do happen throughout the entire stretch of State Road 135, meaning you should never let down your guard while behind the wheel.

What Actually Causes Crashes on State Road 135?

It’s easy to assume speeding is always the biggest factor on a highway like State Road 135; however, that’s not always the case, at least not according to attorney Boulton.

State Road 135 can be especially congested at times, and like any busy roadway, I review accident reports that list an array of liability factors that cause these crashes, but there are particular behaviors and poor choices that appear more often than others. – Matt Boulton

Some of the common causes of State Road 135 car accidents include the following:

• Distracted driving
• Following too closely
• Speeding
• Driving under the influence
• Light running
• Failing to judge time and distance during a turn

Rear-end collisions caused by tailgating happen with great frequency all along State Road 135. With so many stoplights, turning vehicles, and merging cars, drivers often simply fail to give themselves enough time and space to react when the traffic ahead suddenly stops.

And while they’re not usually the first type of collision that comes to mind, T-bone crashes are a common occurrence, often resulting in serious injury. T-bone accidents have a higher propensity to occur in busier intersections, such as Main Street, County Line Road, Smith Valley Road, and Olive Branch Road, where heavy cross-traffic gives drivers plenty of chances to misjudge a gap or run a light.

Similarly, left-turn crashes continue to occur with regularity right alongside the retail development that borders both sides of State Road 135, as more drivers try to cut across multiple lanes of fast-moving traffic to reach a new store or restaurant.

Lastly, it must be noted that a number of the road’s most serious crashes, including fatalities near Olive Branch Road and Fairview Road, have involved pedestrian accidents in which someone was struck in an area without full lighting or a marked crossing.

What’s Being Done to Fix It

Greenwood city officials and INDOT have invested in a number of State Road 135 projects over the years, including adding new crosswalks going in at Main Street, County Line Road, Smith Valley Road, and Olive Branch Road. And, as mentioned earlier, INDOT resurfaced and rebuilt bridge decking between County Line Road and Fairview Road in an attempt to decrease congestion and help with traffic flow.

The state is studying intersection safety at Smith Valley Road, looking at some of the same intersection designs already reducing serious crashes on US 31 throughout Johnson County. And a newly established economic development district along the northern stretch of State Road 135 should bring more infrastructure investment as the commercial growth there continues, some of which will be addressed in the Smith Valley Road Project.

With that said, none of this changes what driving State Road 135 feels like today. Redesigns and new intersections take years to fund and build. Until they’re finished, it’s still one of the more demanding roads in Greenwood, especially during evening and morning rush hour, after dark, and throughout the weekends.

Driving State Road 135 More Safely & Decreasing Your Risk

Until future State Road 135 construction projects are implemented and complete, attorney Boulton has put together a few tips that can help keep you and those around you safe:

• Leave real following distance, especially near Main Street, County Line Road, Smith Valley Road, and Olive Branch Road, where sudden stops are common.
• Treat every retail entrance and side street as a potential left-turn conflict, not just marked intersections.
• Slow down and stay alert near Olive Branch Road, Fairview Road, and Honey Lane after dark, where pedestrian crashes have occurred.
• Assume the driver ahead of you may brake without warning during peak commuting hours.

And always avoid the usual suspects: texting and driving, distracted driving of any kind, and driving under the influence. These liability factors continue to lead the way as primary causes for auto accidents, not just in Greenwood, but throughout Indiana and the entire United States.

If You’re Hurt in a Crash on State Road 135

If you’re reading this after being involved in a car accident, your first priority should always be your health. By allowing a doctor to assess your vitals, you not only help to ensure current injuries don’t become worse, but it also increases the chances that any potential latent or invisible injuries can also be identified.

While you’re focusing on your immediate health, you should also keep the following in mind regarding your potential right to future compensation:

• Follow your doctor’s treatment plan and never miss/skip appointments.
• Don’t give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
• Don’t sign anything that is sent to you by the other driver’s insurance company.
• Understand that the insurance company is not your friend; their primary concern is limiting the amount they owe you for your injuries and other damages.
• Your potential case is governed by a strict statute of limitations. If you fail to settle or resolve your claim before the state-mandated statute date, you risk losing any rights to compensation.
• Your Indiana accident report will identify a primary cause for the collision, and that finding can serve as important evidence for your claim. If you don’t have your report, attorney Boulton can help locate it for you.

In auto accident cases involving high-risk roads like State Road 135, it’s important for you to have an experienced Greenwood personal injury lawyer who understands specific crash patterns, as well as how local police and officials have documented and stored this type of data.

Details are always paramount to car accident personal injury claims. The smallest piece of evidence has the potential to make a significant difference in how a case is built and presented to the insurance company. Unless you have an attorney who understands the entire process of filing and preparing a claim, you risk minimizing the value of your case.

Contact an Experienced Greenwood Personal Injury Attorney

Attorney Matt Boulton is a top-rated, award-winning personal injury attorney with over 30 years of experience representing Indiana accident victims and their families. His personal approach to client service has led him to be sought after by accident victims throughout the state, including a number of high-profile Greenwood cases.

Boulton Law Group offers all Greenwood accident victims a Zero Fee Guarantee, meaning they are never charged for a consultation, and there is no fee unless a financial recovery is made on behalf of the client. It’s a risk-free way of ensuring everyone, no matter their personal situation, has access to experienced legal counsel.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a crash on State Road 135 or elsewhere in Greenwood, attorney Boulton can help walk you through exactly what you should expect in the days and weeks ahead as well as how to protect your legal rights. And once you hire him, he handles every facet of your case from start to finish.

If you’d like to talk through your story and how the accident has affected you, you can contact attorney Boulton directly at 317-350-2680, or you can write to him using the firm’s confidential, free contact form.