Chantelle

Here’s a really sad one with a slightly less sad outcome. This seemingly anonymous descanso was at the side of a brand new traffic circle at Powell Butte and Alfalfa Market roads in Bend. Bend has gone a little “roundabout crazy” in the past decade, and they seem to pop up anywhere and everywhere giving locals something to complain about.

Chantelle was twenty one when she had to cross the Powell Butte Highway to get home. Unfortunately, she didn’t see the flatbed truck carrying 22,000 pounds of water coming straight at her, and the driver didn’t have time to stop.

The truck hit Chantelle’s car so hard that her Corolla was stuck to the front of the semi.

The article describing the accident talks at length about the dangers of rural roads and possible solutions. Chantelle died in 2003, and in the subsequent twenty years Bend and many cities have figured out that traffic circles are at least part of the solution. This data from Florida says that installing traffic circles result in 90% fewer fatalities in crashes and 75% fewer injuries.

The one in place today at this intersection would have almost certainly saved Chantelle’s young life.

Rest in peace, Chantelle.