Heather Wright/The Independent

Lambton County officials say extra lights will be placed on stop signs at the corner of Petrolia and Kimball Lines “imminently.”

St. Clair Township council raised concerns again Tuesday about the troubled corner after an OPP cruiser with an officer and mobile crisis response officer on board was involved in a collision Feb. 13. The officer, the crisis worker and the driver of the other vehicle were all taken to hospital with what police called “minor injuries.”

The province’s Special Investigations Unit is looking into the crash. The SIU looks into any police interaction where someone is injured.

There is a long history of accidents at the intersection. Lambton County has planned a roundabout for the intersection with construction likely in 2027.. 

Tuesday, at a St Clair Township council meeting, Mayor Jeff Agar told councillors he’s been going “through hell” to get more safety devises at the intersection. “What are they waiting for?” he asked.

During budget deliberations Feb. 4, Agar was told staff is still trying to negotiate to secure land at the corner for the roundabout. At the time, the mayor asked for a large stop sign with LED lights surrounding it to be placed at the intersection. They are not permitted by the province.

Jason Cole, general manager of infrastructure and development, said then that the county is looking at alternatives to increase visibility at the intersection.

St. Clair Councillor Cathy Langis said Tuesday the township “needs to emphasize this council is very concerned and we need to do something immediately…I understand it is the people driving the vehicles, but we need to emphasize this is a bad corner.”

That’s just what Agar did at Wednesday’s committee meeting.

“There was another accident…an OPP was involved this time and he’s very lucky to still be alive,” Agar said. “I myself am getting very tired of looking at this all the time…have you come back with anything with lights yet? Or, if you have to, put a friggin’ speed bump close to the corner because that car just went right through…he didn’t even see the stop sign.”

Cole says after the Feb. 2 meeting, the county ordered overhead flashers for the stop signs and they have arrived. “They will be installed imminently,” said Cole.