Speaker urges caution for motorcyclists, flags Wildwood intersection for needed repairs

An unidentified speaker at the St. Mary's County Commissioners meeting urged drivers and motorcyclists to exercise caution on county roads, recounting a personal family crash and recent collisions in the Wildwood area.

The speaker said a relative was severely injured in a motorcycle crash decades ago when a driver pulled out in front of him near "Sister's Place," and that the rider later needed transport by ambulance and stabilization at a hospital before transfer to a major trauma center. The speaker also described witnessing a motorcycle "doing a wheelie" while lane-splitting through an intersection, calling it "a good way to become a statistic." The speaker added, "you have to share the road with everybody."

The speaker noted three crashes in the Wildwood area on a recent Saturday within about 90 minutes and said public works had already identified a safety problem at the traffic signal there. The speaker said the traffic signal near a Brazilian jujitsu studio and the Department of Public Works offices is listed for a capital improvement project (CIP) and called the work "sorely needed."

The speaker also mentioned Melvin Juste from "a beta Southern Maryland" (identified in remarks as attending the meeting) and said weather and more motorcycles on the road make vigilance important. The comments were made during general remarks; no formal traffic-safety motions or funding votes were made at the meeting.