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Residents urge county action after school-bus near-misses on Lakeside Drive
Summary
Multiple residents told the Southampton County Board of Supervisors that heavy vegetation and a sharp 90-degree curve on Lakeside Drive create dangerous sight-line problems; one resident said a school bus forced him off the road and later crashed into his truck. They urged trimming and other safety measures; supervisors asked staff for a report next month.
At the Sept. 23 Southampton County Board of Supervisors meeting, residents from the Lakeside subdivision pressed the board to address what they described as a dangerous 90-degree curve on Lakeside Drive where vegetation limits drivers’ sight lines.
"A week from yesterday, last Monday, Sept. 15, at about 08:15 a.m., I was run off the road by a school bus," said Ash Cutchen, who identified himself as a Lakeside Drive resident and handed the board a map and photos of the curve. Cutchen said he followed the bus but could not obtain the driver’s name and that a subsequent collision left about $2,400 damage to his truck; he said there were no injuries.
Cutchen told the board he could see the front left wheel of the bus significantly over the centerline as it entered the subdivision and said the heavy undergrowth on private property adjacent to the inside of the curve made oncoming traffic invisible until the last seconds. He said the Girl Scout camp owns the parcel and that camp staff had indicated they would not object to trimming if liability concerns were resolved.
Others who spoke during the citizens’ comment period backed Cutchen’s account. Ronnie Knowlton, who said he has lived on Lakeside Drive for 31 years, and Devin Fisher, another resident, described near-misses and urged the board to seek trimming and pavement markings. Fisher said he experienced a separate near-miss with what he believed was the same school bus.
Chair opened the matter for board follow-up and asked Mr. Searle and Mr. Gregory to investigate and report back at next month’s meeting. A supervisor also asked staff to coordinate with VDOT and the county attorney to identify whether a written agreement is needed to allow trimming on the privately owned parcel.
The residents requested options including vegetation removal, possible double-yellow markings, and signs warning drivers to stay in their lane. Cutchen noted that the subdivision’s assessed value is about $29,021,600 and argued that residents pay substantial taxes and deserve safer road conditions.
The board did not vote on a remedy at the meeting; it directed county staff to inspect the location, confer with VDOT, and return with recommendations at the October meeting.
