BATAVIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Residents are questioning the safety of a Batavia Township intersection after a crash that killed one woman and injured several others.

When asked if he thought the intersection of State Route 32 and Herold Road was safe, Greg Montgomery replied, “No, absolutely not.”

John, another Batavia resident for more than 60 years, called the intersection dangerous.

“I ride ahead of others, thinking they’ll have time to stop,” he said.

Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows that State Route 32 has the second-highest number of crashes in Clermont County, with more than 2,000 crashes since 2019 and 178 so far in 2024. This year, one crash was fatal and four resulted in serious injuries.

The intersection is a known safety issue for officials and the community, which is why the Village of Batavia, Batavia Township, and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) have held several meetings to discuss ways to make it safer for everyone who drives through it.

“I think everyone would probably agree that we just need to close that intersection to allow traffic to pass through and probably left turns off Route 32,” said Chip Stewart, assistant village administrator and zoning director for the village of Batavia.

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But what would closing the intersection look like? Stewart said drivers would be able to turn right onto Herold Road from either direction, but other turns would look different.

“You wouldn’t be able to drive all the way down the road, or turn left coming out of Herold Road, or turn left onto Herald Road from east or west 32,” he said.

While nothing is set in stone yet, community members are unsure about the village’s potential proposal.

“Of course it would probably help, but when you do things like that, you’re basically misleading the public,” Montgomery said.

Some community members have proposed their own solutions.

“I think the safest thing would be to just put a traffic light there,” Montgomery suggested.

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ODOT and the Village of Batavia recently installed a traffic light at the intersection of SR 32 and Bauer Road, but some people weren’t happy with the changes and were hoping for other changes.

“I think the answer would be to increase law enforcement, but it’s just a matter of time,” John said.

Officials will meet again within the next week to discuss in detail the potential plans and how to make the intersection safer.