Fort Simpson (Apr 11/03) - The third time wasn't a charm.

A car careened into Dave Wright and Sheila O'Neill's fence on the evening of April 2. Since last fall, their fence has been damaged two other times by out-of-control vehicles rounding the corner at Mackenzie Drive and 100 Street.

Dave Wright says the corner near his home has essentially become "a runway" for vehicles that barrel into his wooden fence. The fence has been struck three times since last fall, most recently on April 2. The driver was charged. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

Wright has demanded that a three-way stop be enacted at the corner. Village council expressed a willingness to comply at Monday's council meeting. Currently there is just a single stop sign for traffic on 100 Street turning left or right onto Mackenzie Drive.

"If somebody's going to be driving like an idiot, or drinking, or speeding or run the stop sign, there's not much we can do about it," Wright reasoned. "But for the average driver, it's going to make them more aware that they're supposed to slow down, supposed to stop."

Const. Glen Demmon said stop signs may help but they won't prevent vehicles from sliding through the intersection and striking the fence. To address that problem, Demmon suggested, a concrete barrier or a berm be placed in front of the fence.

The first person who hit the fence offered to pay for the damages, Wright noted. The second person drove off without confessing.

Wright said he isn't sure whether he'll be able to make a claim through the most recent driver's insurance policy.

Not only is he annoyed by the frequent damage to the fence, Wright is also worried about the safety of children playing in the yard.

The paving of 100 Street has been a factor in the string of accidents, he contended.

"It's changed the shape of the land there. Our fence used to be quite a bit higher than the level of the road but now it's not. If somebody misses that turn they slide right into our fence," he said.

Wright first requested the three-way stop at a village council meeting in January. Failing to agree, council left it at status quo. Following last week's accident, he wrote another letter urging village council to act.

Senior administrative officer Bernice Swanson said the two additional stop signs will only be erected after the passing of a bylaw authorizing it. That bylaw will be on the agenda for the April 21 council meeting, she added.