Man injured in Hampstead crash dies; officials talk about traffic solutions

HAMPSTEAD, NC (WWAY) — In less than a week, two people have died from a crash on a busy stretch of Highway 17. Officials say while larger projects are a few years away, they are looking at other options to help ease the congestion and accidents now.

Betty Padgett was killed in a head-on crash involving a FedEx driver in late December. Her husband, Milton, later died from injuries sustained in the crash. Lynn McClellan lost her daughter and unborn granddaughter in a crash on that stretch in 2002.

“You’ve got those middle lanes, those suicide lanes is what they call them, because you’re taking your life in danger every time you get in them,” McClellan said. “We have to deal with this every time we get on the road. There have been a lot of times I’ve been out there on that highway and I’ve been scared.”

County Commissioner David Williams shares these concerns with residents.

“Personally my concerns are my family members,” Williams said. “That’s my first concern and all of my neighbors.”

Troopers in Pender County say there were six fatalities on Highway 17 in the county last year and 244 collisions. They say they have at least one trooper assigned to Highway 17, with three to four troopers assigned at other times.

Williams says he’s been working with the DOT but says the Hampstead Bypass cannot get the funds.

“It doesn’t qualify as a statewide significant project, which I and most people in Pender County feel that it does,” Williams said.

For now, Williams says he’s sitting down with the sheriff and state leaders to get other safety improvements in place.

“A light at Washington Acres will be up this January, with the permanent poles and things to be done by April. So there is going to be a light at Washington Acres, and that’s a critical part because folks aren’t slowing down before they get to that 45. We’re going to continue to push to get the median done sooner,” Williams said.