Sounds of tires screeching, sights of metal folding and glass breaking turn the heads of Missouri Southern students.

These are the sights and sounds of car accidents that have taken place at the Southern View Drive and Newman Road intersection.

Two car accidents have been counted this year involving students.

Nate Moore, senior criminal justice major, said he thinks the intersection is very dangerous.

“I have seen one this semester that was pretty severe and several more the five years I have been here,” Moore said.

Moore said the other accidents that he has seen at that intersection have been T-bones.

“I see people trying to go directly across the street to the criminal justice building,” Moore said.

A few of the accidents Moore has seen have been minor accidents.

Moore said the problem may taper off if people turned right at the intersection.

Officer Joe Kowis of the Joplin Police Department said he believes the problem comes from people following too close behind and going too fast.

Kent Boyd, public information manager for Missouri Department of transportation, said there will probably be no change in that intersection because there are not enough car accidents to assess the traffic.

“We haven’t been asked by the City of Joplin or the University to look at that intersection,” Boyd said.

Boyd said the accidents that occur at that intersection are called fender benders and “those usually don’t rise to the top of our list.”

“We look at every fatal accident to determine change,” Boyd said.

“Sometimes the public may think that a certain intersection is a problem and MODOT may perceive it as no problem. It all boils down to statistics.”

In agreement with MODOT, Safety and Security thinks that the accidents at that intersection have not posed a threat or a major problem.

Ken Kennedy, manager of public safety and security, said he realizes there have been a few accidents but changing that intersection is in the jurisdiction of MODOT.

“I would say there are two or less car accidents a year at the Southern View Drive and Newman Road intersection,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the number of accidents would affect the decision to make a change for that intersection.

“Having the new stop light signal put in at the crosswalk has made some difference,” Kennedy said.

Highway 249 is being completed and Boyd said he would not be surprised if Newman experienced more traffic because of this.

“If that problem occurs then a traffic engineer would come out and study Newman Road for a few days and then a decision would be made accordingly,” Boyd said.

Boyd said if the need for change is in question, he is not sure what it would be, but it is unlikely it would be a median because they seem to be very unpopular to business and for people’s convenience.

As for now, there have been no recommendations of change involving the Southern View Drive and Newman Road intersection.

“If people would be more cautious this may reduce the car accidents,” Kennedy said.