Viewing the Highway 37 and Thigpen Trail intersection from the south to north, a truck passes moving east. With Thigpen curving in both approaches and a hill to the east on 37, the intersection is proving challenging -- and dangerous -- especially for out-of-town drivers who are not familiar with the road configuration.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — An intersection that has been the site of several brutal collisions in recent months — one of them fatal — has seen improvements and will receive further study.

Larger stop signs, more reflective materials and a warning that cross traffic does not stop are among the additions to Thigpen Trail at its intersection with Highway 37 West.

Those improvements were made after a Georgia Department of Transportation traffic engineering report completed in earlier this year.

The agency initiated the study after receiving a request from a nearby property owner and met with Colquitt County officials at the site.

“I think a lot of it is people are not familiar with that intersection,” said Russell Moody, Colquitt County emergency management director.

The accidents seem to involve out-of-town drivers who have been directed along the route by GPS, said Colquitt County Sheriff Rod Howell, who was among local officials who met with state officials.

Apparently drivers using GPS systems are being directed through the rural county route going between the Tallahassee area and Atlanta. It could be the shortest route available in some driving situations, but probably is not the safest with the four-lane U.S. Highway 319 as an alternative.

There are rumble strips on Thigpen Trail in both the north and south lanes, intersection ahead signs, double stop signs on the south bound lane and the stop sign in the south bound lane is mounted on two poles to which has been added red reflective material.

Howell said that the first thing he noticed when he met with officials at the intersection is that there are no brake skid marks. That indicated to him that drivers who have been involved in accidents either never stopped or stopped safely and proceeded into the intersection in the path of traffic.

Some drivers looking at their phone GPS approaching the intersection on Thigpen Trail probably roll through and never realize they ran a stop sign, he said.

In its study, DOT reported average annual daily traffic recorded on Jan. 31, 2017, and Feb. 1, 2018, of 1,840 vehicles a day on Highway 37, and 820 per day on Thigpen Trail.

From January 2012 through February there were 18 reported crashes at the intersection, resulting in one fatality, according to the study.

“The majority were angle crashes resulting from Thigpen Trail traffic either failing to yield to SR 37 traffic or running the stop sign while trying to cross SR 37 or turn onto SR,” it said.

DOT also judged that the sight distance approaching the intersection is sufficient.

Following the study the agency installed 48-inch stop signs on both approaches of Thigpen Trail, installed reflective red wrap on all sign posts, installed yellow raised pavement markers on the raised island south bound and installed clear/red raised pavement markers on the edge line of the painted island north bound. Signs reading “cross traffic does not stop” also were installed on both approaches.

DOT also is requesting an intersection control evaluation that would explore alternatives to existing traffic control at the intersection. There was no timeline for when that evaluation could take place.

Judging by the number of serious crashes at the intersection, Howell thinks that more is needed.

In November a woman driving from Atlanta to Tallahassee pulled into the path of a semi truck headed west on Highway 37, killing the passenger.

“I’d like to see some flashing lights,” Howell said. “I think we’re going to have to get more visibility with that intersection.”