By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
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CAMDEN, Va. — On Aug. 4, two deputies, an ambulance and a state trooper sped down N.C. 343 South in response to a bad wreck .
The trouble: T he crash was some 20 miles in the opposite direction - at the same address on N.C. 343 North.
Confusion over N.C. 343 North and N.C. 343 South has sent emergency responders in the wrong direction many times, Camden County Sheriff Tony Perry said.
Perry said he wants to replace the highway number with a name for the south route and a name for north route.
“This is a big issue with me,” Perry said. “It can be a matter of life or death.”
Another option could be to get emergency dispatchers to name 343 themselves without making a public change, county Commissioner Phil Faison said .
N.C. 343 intersects with U.S. 158 in the middle of Camden County. On the north side of the intersection, the road goes about 14 miles through South Mills. The other side goes south about 12 miles to Old Trap .
Address numbers match on both routes starting with 100 and go upward in opposite directions. Confusion arises with a mix- up in north or south, Faison said. The fact that the community of South Mills is on N.C. 343 North adds to the problem.
“It’s very easy to make a mistake,” he said.
Marsha Davis, who lives on 343 South, said she would reluctantly accept a road name change .
“I completely understand the public safety aspect of it,” Davis said. “For public safety, we won’t complain.”
Emergencies aren’t the only problem.
On Tuesday, a sheriff’s deputy was called to escort a funeral procession at 208 N.C. 343 North, Perry said. The deputy couldn’t find it , because t he procession was actually at 208 N.C. 343 South .
People often stop into the Shiloh Shopping Center for directions.
“Do people get confused over north or south 343?” asked Debi Street, a sales clerk at the Shiloh general store and restaurant. “All the time, and they’ll stop in here to ask for help.”
Road name changes can be made locally, Perry said. If a change is supported, t he Board of Commissioners could form a committee to get name suggestions and hold a public hearing, he said.
The process would be much like that done years ago, when county roads were given names in place of numbers to help simplify the new 911 system, he said. The state retains road numbers.