By Sherri Blevins
On Friday, June 23, 2023, an accident involving a dump truck resulted in the death of one individual. Sadly, the accident occurred at the same spot as several other serious accidents, the area known as Joe’s Truck Stop, located at the intersection of Wallace Avenue and 5th Street NE in Fort Payne, AL.
DeKalb County Coroner Tom Wilson stated that 43-year-old Joshua Buck died in the wreck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Joe’s Truck Stop received its name from local residents. The area is at the end of a two-mile drop-off from Lookout Mt. into Fort Payne along Highway 35. In 1935, Joe Faulkner built a house adjacent to the intersection. Faulkner noticed increased traffic along the road after living there for a while. In 1950 the State of Alabama designated Hwy 35 as a state route. The semi-tractor-trailer traffic increased dramatically, leading to some serious consequences. The first year the road became a state route used by trucks, thirteen trucks crashed into Joe’s property, knocking down almost every tree in his yard. Many trucks overturned, depositing watermelons, cows, logs, lumber, and steel onto Faulkner’s yard, porch, and roof. One incident resulted in three circus trucks landing in the yard.
Reportedly, Faulkner contacted state officials to help solve the problem of runaway trucks landing in his yard. After seeing no results from those efforts, he built his own barrier to protect his property. He built a four-foot thick concrete wall reinforced with wire, grader blades, steel pipe, and the chassis from two Dodge trucks.
The wall did stop the trucks from traveling as far as before. However, the intersection was still very dangerous for the truck drivers and their loads—several deaths have been associated with this intersection when trucks have failed to make the turn.
Over the years, the State of Alabama has added several warning signs on the route advising truckers to check their brakes before going down the mountain, flashing lights just before you get to the top of the crest of the hill going down, and signage down the mountain limiting the speed. Accidents are still happening too frequently.
For years, the City of Fort Payne has spoken with state officials requesting help devising a plan to solve the problem. The Alabama Department of Transportation proposed adding a runaway truck stop on Wallace Avenue at the bottom of Alabama Highway 35. They would add a gravel pit into the right-of-way on the slope down the mountain, ending just before the sharp, deadly curve. For the plan to be implemented, Foster’s Training Facility and some houses would have to be removed. This plan met with controversy and the State offered an opportunity for the public to give their input before making its decision. Mayor Baine and the Fort Payne City Council traveled to Washington D.C. earlier this year requesting help to fund a plan that would eventually solve the Joe’s Truck Stop problem and the need for an overpass to solve the railroad issues. Senator Britt and Representative Aderholt both offered their support, and the Council is waiting to see if their funding requests will be approved.
In the meantime, the route is still dangerous, and the warning signs need to be heeded.