Albany, OR : Distracted drivers blamed in downtown collisions on Friday, November, 3rd 2017

Albany police and emergency crews responded to two separate car crashes downtown within sight of one another Friday afternoon, and confusion due to road construction is thought to be the cause.

Mike Moore of Albany was traveling north on Lyon Street at about 12:24 p.m. when he said a left-turning car surprised him.

"To tell you the truth, I just saw a red flash in front of me," he said.

That red flash was a Lexus sedan, which Jomell Fritz was driving, also northbound on Lyon, when she turned left onto Third Avenue, only to have Moore strike her rear driver side door with his passenger side front quarter panel. Fritz came to rest on the northwest corner of the intersection, with her car facing south. Moore's truck rested in the intersection. Fritz's grandson was in the back seat, but nobody was injured in the crash.

At about the same time, at Third Avenue and Ellsworth, a driver left his lane after his dog jumped into his lap, according to police reports, causing a side-swipe collision. No injuries were reported from either accident.

Both incidents, according to road construction project superintendent Steve McGill, are the result of drivers ignoring traffic signals during construction.

"People all day long don't look at the lights," said McGill, who has been on the site with his crew since June. "It's been constant since we've been here with people running red lights."

Fritz agreed that road construction is a distraction, and cites the cones in the road as the source of her confusion.

"I think with the road construction it's just a little mind-boggling," she said. Fritz told officers she made a left turn and was surprised when Moore's truck hit her.

Officers as of press time had not yet decided whether to issue any citations in that accident. The driver who was distracted by his dog was cited for not having insurance and driving with a suspended license.

Construction crews along Lyon Street and Third Avenue are installing new sidewalks, pavement, trees, lighting and decorative elements and water lines. Work is expected to be finished in the spring or summer of 2018.

Source :
Distracted drivers blamed in downtown collisions