PENDER COUNTY, NC (WECT) -
Drive down Hwy 421 and you'll run right into Malpass Corner Road, an intersection residents are calling one of the most dangerous around.
Fadi Hamam has owned the Malpass Corner Store since 2011. He said in that time he's seen countless drivers run the stop signs at the four-way intersection that's not a four-way stop. There are only two stop signs, both on Malpass Corner Road.
"I've gotten so used to the sound I just automatically call 911," Hamam said. "It sounds like a bomb going off."
He said no crash has been worse than what he saw last Friday. His surveillance cameras captured the moment an SUV ran the stop sign and began to cross Hwy 421. An oncoming tractor-trailer didn't have time to react and the two vehicles collided.
The passenger in the SUV, Kenneth Stahl, was killed. The driver of the SUV, Julie Stahl, will be charged with failure to yield. Both she and the truck driver were injured.
"It's hard to sleep at night -- and most of my concern is when I go out there I don't want to see one of my customers or family members in it," Hamam said.
Highway Patrol confirmed there were at least 12 wrecks between January 2014 and November 2016, and at least one of those were fatal.
Hamam, along with others who live close by, said they think a stop light would be more effective than the signs.
"There's no other way but a stop light -- that's the only way it can get done, the only way," Hamam said. "And it needs to be done as soon as possible."
We reached out to NCDOT to find out if they've received any complaints about the intersection and if any plans have been discussed. A spokesperson explained it is a lengthy process and would respond to our request as soon as possible.
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The intersection of Highway 421 and Malpass Corner Road has seen at least 13 accidents in the last three years. (Source:WECT)
