Edited: Josh Speidel’s name was spelled incorrectly in an earlier version of this story.

A Taylorsville intersection is dangerous for drivers and prone to serious accidents, according to a Columbus attorney.

Last Super Bowl Sunday, Columbus North star basketball player Josh Speidel was critically injured in a crash at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Bear Lane Road.

Attorney Richard Eynon told Bartholomew County Commissioners yesterday that he is so concerned about the dangerous intersection that he hired his own experts from Injury and Crash Analysis LLC of Indianapolis to take a look at what could be done to improve the safety there. Eynon said he is not representing any party in the discussion, but has a personal interest in seeing the safety improvements.

Eynon’s experts provided several actions that could be taken to improve the safety at the intersection, including better lighting and pavement markings. They suggested that the intersection also be made into a right-out-only configuration and that the speed limit be reduced and that the exit ramp from I-65 be extended with marked right turn only lanes as soon as possible.

Danny Hollander, the county engineer, said that because U.S. 31 is a state highway, almost any changes would have to be approved by the state. One of the suggestions, that the county install overhead lighting on Bear Lane Road, would be the first street lighting the county has installed at any location, Hollander said.

County Commissioners President Rick Flohr said that the next steps would be to get the state involved in the discussions so that action could be taken.