Crash involved various factors

The LPGA tournament and the rib burn-off made traffic heavier than usual.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;By STEPHEN SIFF & lt;/a & gt; and PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- Road improvements planned for the intersection of state Routes 82 and 46 would have done nothing to prevent a deadly accident Saturday, officials say.
Eleven people were injured, and one person killed, when a tractor-trailer driven by Roberto Duebelt plowed into a line of traffic backed up on the eastbound exit off state Route 82 onto Route 46.
Duebelt, 46, told Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers he fell asleep at the wheel. No charges have been filed.
The intersection has been ranked second-worst in the county by the governor's office of highway safety.
The majority of the accidents take place among vehicles heading in the other direction, said Jennifer Richmond, spokesman for ODOT in Ravenna.
Between 1999 and 2001, there were 318 accidents at the intersection, including two deaths and 97 accidents with injury. In 63 percent of the cases, one car rear-ended another.
"All my info reads the backups most generally occur in eastbound lanes," Richmond said. "All the accidents going east were essentially minor."
A range of extraordinary factors contributed to the eastbound accident Saturday, including an earlier accident that snarled traffic, and heavier-than-usual traffic volume from the Mahoning Valley Rib Burn Off in Niles and the LPGA golf tournament.
What's planned
This summer, the Ohio Department of Transportation plans to add a second left turn lane for northbound traffic on state Route 46 turning west onto state Route 82, where traffic regularly backs up.
Another left turn lane will also be added from state Route 82 west to 46 south, Richmond said.
On the eastbound exit where the accident took place, the most common problem occurs when drivers do not take advantage of the continuous turn onto state Route 46 and come to a complete stop, she said.
Within the last month, ODOT has tried to address the problem by changing a sign and widening stripes on the road, to encourage entering traffic to continue driving straight.
"The state's proposed road improvements are not enough," said Darlene St. George, township administrator. "I just got off the phone with someone who says the traffic is backed up right now. It's backed up all the time. I don't think the state realizes the problem we are having. It's a horrendous situation."
Trustees will begin mailing letters this week to all township residents asking for their help.
"The trustees are asking the residents to contact ODOT and state officials asking for the help with this intersection," St. George said.
Some local officials are also concerned that traffic in the area will become even worse if developers are allowed to construct a new Sam's Club further down state Route 46.
Now, about 25,000 cars pass through the intersection daily, Richmond said.
The OSHP's report on Saturday's crash is not yet complete.