PHOENIX — The worst intersection in Maricopa County doesn't have a stop sign or a light. It's a roundabout.
That's according to Maricopa Association of Governments data which ranked the roundabout at 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road as the county's riskiest intersection.
The intersection had 411 crashes from 2017 through 2021, well over a hundred more crashes than any other intersection.
“They [drivers] don't understand how it works," said Austin Kovach.
"The frame was completely twisted and bent."
Austin Kovach had his car totaled in the intersection this summer. His crash is not reflected in the county data which stops after 2021. The county expects to release updated data this fall.
“I was just sitting there thinking like, what the heck just happened?” Kovach said.
Kovach said one night in June, he entered the roundabout, but as he was exiting, he was hit and after losing his brakes, he slammed into a metal post which is still bent from the impact today.
“I didn't know that I was injured on my arm at all until the guy pulled me out of the car. I realized I had blood on my face blood on my arm," Kovach said.
On top of his injuries, Kovach's 2019 Volkswagen Jetta was totaled.
“All the bags went off. The frame was completely twisted and bent," Kovach said. "When I got the estimate, they said it was around $25,000 to $26,000.”
12News spoke with several drivers in the area who raised concerns about the intersection's safety.
“There’s been way too many accidents over here," said James Parsons.
"There's a lot of accidents that happen. A lot of beeping," said Samantha Edwards. “Coming around, people not yielding properly.”
A City of Phoenix spokesperson said they are aware of the number of crashes at the intersection. They said the roundabout was constructed there back in 2002 and the surrounding area has been significantly developed since. The city plans to study the intersection some time in 2024.
"That study will help determine options moving forward, which could include modifications to the existing roundabout or changing it to a signalized intersection," said Gregg Bach, a senior public information officer with Phoenix's Street Transportation Department.
Kovach believes the city should make a change soon.
“I think they should just rip it out and put a stoplight," Kovach said. “I think they need to do it as soon as possible not wait until next year for it.”