A driver struck a Waxhaw police officer at the intersection of Rehobeth Road and NC-75 on Wednesday, Sept. 23, sending the officer to the hospital with minor injuries.
The officer's injuries were minor.
The collision happened around 6:40 a.m., according to a town news release reported by WSOC-TV. The officer had stopped traffic on Waxhaw-Marvin Road and Highway 75 to allow drivers from Rehobeth Road through when a driver ignored his stop instruction, according to town officials, and drove into the intersection, striking him at low speed.
Town officials said the officer is expected to be OK.
The driver stopped after the collision and was charged with failing to comply with direction from a law enforcement officer, WBTV reported. The driver was not named in the town's initial release.
The Town of Waxhaw said the intersection would not be covered by an officer for the rest of the morning because of limited staffing. The Waxhaw Police Department urged drivers to slow down and pay attention when traffic control officers are working.
Why an officer was there
The town began stationing an off-duty officer at the intersection on Sept. 1 to direct traffic during peak hours: Monday through Friday, roughly 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. The deployment was part of an agreement with Pulte Homes tied to The Preserve at Forest Creek subdivision, according to a town announcement posted Aug. 28.
Under that agreement, Pulte secured a $2 million bond to fund a permanent traffic signal, rail crossing improvements and lane work at the intersection. The officer-directed traffic is a stopgap until the signal is installed.
Long-delayed signal
The intersection has a troubled history. When the Waxhaw Board of Commissioners approved the Forest Creek development in 2020, a traffic light at Rehobeth Road and NC-75 was required before any certificates of occupancy could be issued. In 2024, a town employee overrode that requirement before leaving his job, allowing 25 certificates of occupancy without the light in place, The Waxhaw Wall reported in April.
The signal project has stalled because of delays in negotiations with railroad company CSX, according to The Waxhaw Wall. The town retains the ability to step in and complete the work using Pulte's $2 million bond if progress stalls further.
Waxhaw Police Chief Dexter Wilson has voiced broader concerns about traffic dangers along NC-75. In an Aug. 10 Charlotte Weekly report about school traffic director cuts near Waxhaw Elementary, Wilson called a nearby NC-75 intersection "a very bad intersection for wrecks."
No timeline for the permanent signal installation has been announced. The officer-directed traffic arrangement is set to continue until the signal is in place.
