SILVERHILL, Ala. — A recent string of accidents around the intersection of County Road 49 and Highway 104 in Silverhill has caused concern among town officials.

“We had five accidents in June and three of them were at that intersection,” said Silverhill Police Chief Kim Wasdin at Monday night’s council meeting as part of her monthly report. “Just this past weekend, we had two accidents there.”

Both were three-car accidents, Wasdin said. While one of the accidents may have involved alcohol or been medical-related, Wasdin said she believes the other had to do with the speed of the vehicle.

“We’re not talking about drivers who are exceeding the speed limit, but it is a blind area there,” she said. “When you have a vehicle traveling at 55 miles per hour coming over that hill, they will be on top of anyone who pulls out in front of them before they can react.”

There has been talk of reducing the speed limit around the intersection, Wasdin said, but it has been met with resistance. In order to reduce the speed limit on Highway 104, a state highway, in an area which is outside the corporate limits but with the police jurisdiction, the town would have to send a petition to be signed by the governor.

“We just don’t think that is likely to happen under the current conditions,” she said, “but we are working on other avenues of getting the speed limit reduced.”

Eventually, Wasdin said, the town is hoping to get the speed limit reduced from 55 to 45 miles per hour both eastbound and westbound on Highway 104 up to County Road 9 west of Silverhill, Wasdin said.

In October of last year, the Silverhill Town Council voted to extend the 45 mile-per-hour speed limit on County Road 55 north from Woodpecker Road to North Boulevard and south from South Boulevard to Camelia Road, and it has made a huge difference, Wasdin said.

“It has greatly reduced the number of accidents, particularly south of town,” Wasdin said, adding that she appreciates the county’s efforts in getting a caution light placed at the intersection of 104 and 49.

“We were hoping that would make a difference in the number of accidents that occur at the intersection,” she said. “It’s possible that placing a traffic light at that intersection instead of just a blinking caution light could make a difference as well.”

In the meantime, Wasdin said, she is asking drivers to use extra caution at the intersection, mainly by simply reducing their speed where visibility is limited.

“We have two businesses near that intersection and part of what is happening is the confusion that is created when people turn their blinkers on early,” she said. “We’re just asking people to take a few extra seconds and determine for sure where the driver is turning before they make a move. That alone could make a huge difference.”