Shortly following the end of school yesterday, a multi-vehicle crash took place near BV West. The 16 car pile-up occurred Thursday afternoon on Antioch at 3:04 p.m. No one was seriously injured, but the accident left an impact on students, staff, and the community alike.
The Overland Park Police Department responded to the crash and was able to confirm that all drivers were okay. Although an accident of this magnitude is an anomaly at BV West, questionable driving is not uncommon.

“I’m not surprised at all that it happened,” senior Sydney Schranz said.” I think it’s representative of how people at this school drive- both parents and students.”

Schranz is not the only one who has noticed a lack of responsible driving in the area. Students and parents, often in a rush to get to or from school, may unintentionally compromise important defensive driving skills, such as maintaining alertness and appropriate following distance.

“We all just need to not follow so closely,” librarian Amanda Davis said. “I am regularly tailgated so closely I can’t see the headlights of the car behind me- you should be able to see the pavement in front of you when following someone. I also think making the North entrance a right turn only until 3:15 is a good idea.”

Undoubtedly, the traffic issues at arrival and dismissal times have caused multiple problems for drivers. Traffic solutions have been implemented in years past to help improve efficiency and reduce risks, including a concrete median in the student parking lot and traffic light at the school entrance. Although these measures have helped, it is clear that alternative solutions are needed as well.
“[We could] dismiss by floor five minutes apart,” junior Archana Sundar said. “School would technically end earlier for two of the floors, but [it] depends on how desperate we are for getting the traffic under control.”

Many student drivers have experienced negative encounters with the traffic flow and safe driving around school. Student suggestions reflect their discontent with the current situation and illustrate their desire for new, potentially safer measures.
“Don’t let kids take a U-turn at the light,” Harrison Jones said. “It blocks kids from turning left in the line they skipped at the first entrance.”

Ultimately, Thursday’s accident was reflective of ongoing problems with traffic and driving, and brought to light individual concerns. Fortunately, the drivers involved were okay, but the possibility of a different outcome serves as a warning to drivers. The lesson of safe driving will always be important within school zones, but this accident serves as a prominent reminder.

“Fifteen plus cars [were] involved in this crash,” Overland Park Police Department tweeted Thursday morning. “Stay alert behind the wheel and leave plenty of space between you and the car ahead of you.”