Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple may run the county jail and oversee the sheriff's office, but that doesn't stop him from making a traffic stop here and there.

Just this week he pulled over a young woman on Central Avenue after spotting her texting behind the wheel at a red light.

"She looked right at me, in uniform, and went back to her phone," he recalled in frustration. Driving habits like this, Apple said, are what leads to fatalities.

Based on the findings of a recent report, Apple could have also told the wayward driver that the road she was cruising down was home to not one but four of the most dangerous intersections in Albany County, according to a local law firm's calculations of data from 2015 and 2016.

There were nearly 11,000 car crashes at intersections over the course of the past two years in the Capital Region. Most happened in Albany County, which is home to 16 of the 25 most dangerous intersections, according to an analysis by the Colonie-based personal injury law firm Martin, Harding & Mazzotti.

The list included Central Avenue's intersections with Lark Street, Fuller Road, Everett Road and Tull Drive. The report found that a total of 63 crashes and 38 injuries occurred at those four crossings during the two-year period studied.

The most dangerous intersection in the region, the report found, was Washington Avenue Extension and New Karner Road, also in Albany County. Thirty crashes happened there, and 11 injuries.

"Everybody seems to be in a hurry these days," Apple said, noting that the intersections listed as most dangerous are also the region's busiest.

Between January 2015 and December 2016, police responded to 10,774 car crashes in intersections in Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties. A total of 3,232 people were injured and 19 people killed.

Martin, Harding & Mazzotti filed a Freedom of Information Law request for accident data from the state Department of Transportation. Staff members from the law firm then analyzed the crash records and published their findings online.

"We hope that our efforts reviewing and consolidating this data helps raise awareness of these dangerous intersections," the firm said in a statement. "Identification can reduce accidents and injuries, and possibly save lives."

The review determined the most dangerous, not the deadliest, intersections in the Capital Region. The firm ranked the locations using a weighted calculation of car crashes, injuries and fatalities.

The lion's share of all of the area crashes happened on a clear or cloudy day (87 percent), in daylight (71 percent) and on dry roads (81 percent).

Eight intersections in Albany, six in Colonie, five in Schenectady and two in Guilderland were listed as some of the 25 most dangerous intersections in the Capital Region. Troy, Clifton Park, Malta and Ballston Spa each had one intersection on that top 25 list.

Safe driving tips Buckle up.

Observe the speed limits.

Do not drink and drive.

Be well rested and alert and give your full attention to the road.

Do not text and drive or use your phone at any time.

Use caution in work zones.

Be respectful of other motorists and follow the rules of the road.

Clean your vehicle's lights and windows to help you see, especially at night.

Turn your headlights on as dusk approaches, or during inclement weather.

Do not let your vehicle's gas tank get too low.

If you have car trouble, pull off to the side of the highway as far as possible. Source: Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP See More Collapse

Albany County accounted for almost half of the car crashes (43 percent), injuries (44 percent) and deaths (47 percent).

Apple attributed dozens local crashes to drivers trying to "squeeze through" the last seconds of a yellow light by speeding through the intersection or asserting themselves into the center of the grid at the last minute.

"And (then) you've got gridlock and cars backed up," the sheriff said, adding that aggressive driving peaks during rush hour.

RELATED STORY: An in-depth look at traffic tickets issued in the Capital Region

The sheriff's office is now planning a crackdown on traffic violations, especially the use of cell phones behind the wheel, he said.

"We don't want to go out there and paper the world with tickets ... but how many more lives will it take?" Apple said.