Another car accident at Vose/Montrose intersection
@Roland, my proposal of making Vose a one way street, both north and south of Montrose, would not have prevented the most recent incident (which lead to a fatality). This most recent incident is an outlier (because it is a one car accident where the car and driver left the roadway and it occurred before the Vose and Montrose intersection).
However, this posting originally, and many of the most recent postings, are addressing the safety issue present at the Vose and Montrose interesection. Thus, I have provided my solution to the historic problem at the Vose and Montrose intersection (my solution being: make a one way of Vose heading north for the portion of Vose north of Montrose and conversely, make a one way of Vose heading south for the portion of Vose south of Montrose).
Roland said:
How would this proposal have prevented the accident under discussion?
RealityForAll said:
A really cheap and quick solution is to make Vose south of Montrose one way heading south. And, to make Vose north of Montrose one way heading north. This would mean that you would no longer have Vose traffic crossing Montrose as each one way on the north and south ends of Vose would head away from the intersection.
irag said:
The idea is that a traffic light (or its cheap cousin a four way stop) will make people drive slower and more carefully through this part of Montrose. While there is little we can do to address careless driving, there is something that can be done to improve the safety of this area. There have been numerous accidents in that intersection. I myself witnessed a person taken to the ambulance after an accident not too long ago. Does someone actually have to die in the middle of the intersection in order for it to be "an intersection fault?"
It would be interesting to know what Millburn experience is. They have a similar overpass on Wyoming between Glenn and Millburn Aves. The difference I see is that they have a stop light at both Glenn and at Millburn Ave. Granted traffic is heavier and calls for stricter regulation.
In my opinion, thoughts and prayers are about as useless as casting chicken bones to determine when the next accident will take place so we know when not to drive there on that particular day and time.
This is not a criticism of Sheena. After all, that response is the usual one from holders of political office. The question is what she and the council will do.
After the accident on Essex Ave., 4 way stop signs were installed in a matter of weeks.
irag said:
Sheena, thoughts and prayers are very nice, ----
Have there been any updates regarding this fatality (such as cause for the driver's car leaving the road and whether charges were filed against the driver) of William Owens after being hit by car while walking on the sidewalk?
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https://patch.com/new-jersey/maplewood/essex-county-man-killed-after-car-hits-him-sidewalk-police
Article from Maplewood Patch:
Essex County Man Killed After Car Hits Him On Sidewalk: Police
A vehicle struck and killed a 65-year-old Essex County pedestrian walking near a train station, police say.
By Eric Kiefer, Patch Staff | Jun 16, 2017 10:21 am ET | Updated Jun 16, 2017 12:16 pm ET
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - The victim in Thursday's fatal pedestrian incident has been identified as William E. Owens, age 65, of South Orange, announced Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and South Orange Police Chief Kyle Kroll in a statement released on Friday.
At about 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, South Orange police officers responded to the South Mountain train station overpass on a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle, which was traveling on West Montrose Avenue.
When officers arrived at the scene they found that a a 2012 Nissan Versa driven by a 55-year-old woman appeared to have exited the roadway at the crest of the hill, and upon doing so, struck Owens who had been walking on the sidewalk, according to the statement today from Murray and Kroll.
Owens was transported to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The driver of the Nissan remained at the scene. At this time, no charges have been filed against her.
The investigation, which is being conducted by the South Orange Police Department in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, is active and ongoing.
I'd like to know too since at the very minimum speed and distracted driving were involved. At the very least it's GOTTA be illegal to drive on the sidewalk...
Yeah, that's interesting. 5 months later, the prosecutor's office is investigating. No statement as to laws that might have been violated or physical condition of the driver that might have exonerated her.
On the other hand, maybe she knows somebody.
Any updates regarding this fatality of William Owens after being hit by car while walking on the sidewalk?
It has been almost 1 1/2 years and no formal response on criminal charges for driver who killed a man walking on the sidewalk (and almost a year since my last posting on this subject). It seems almost too incredible and sad.
I'm very upset by that accident. A woman in a similar car almost killed me minutes before that accident happened. I can't prove it was the same car and driver, but it was literally minutes before. I was on Ridgewood Rd getting my kids out of the car when the car suddenly swerved right towards me, I actually had to jump in my car to avoid being hit, at the very last second before almost slamming into my car she corrected and turned back into the travel lane. What struck me was the look on her face, she didn't have that "oh ****, I almost hit someone" look on her face, she just looked dazed, almost zombie like. No acknowledgement at all that she almost smeared me against the side of my car in front of my kids. Had I not had a minivan with a wide open sliding door, and had I not been able to get out of the way in time, it would have been fatal, and my three kids would have seen the whole thing. I was very shaken. Also, when on Ridgewood getting into or out of the car, I ALWAYS watch traffic, I don't trust the drivers, so I did see her approaching. She was driving normally right up until she got near me, and then made a sharp swerve TOWARDS me at the last minute.
I tried to give a statement, but I never received a return phone call. I can only assume that it is because the prosecutors office decided to not do anything about it. I don't know what was going on, maybe she was sleep deprived, maybe she had something serious on her mind and wasn't paying attention to the road, but after almost killing me she should have pulled over and stopped driving. But she didn't, instead she kept driving and minutes later killed someone else.
*Edited. I realized that how I wrote it made it appear that the woman had actually hit my car. She didn't, but she came damned close.
The answer is an email, letter or phone call to the state A.G. office.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
The answer is an email, letter or phone call to the state A.G. office.
If you're referring to my statement, it'd be just about useless at this point. At the time I had a time frame of about 10-15 minutes max of when it happened, due to where I had left before arriving at my MIL's, phone records, etc, and multiple other details. When it was fresh in my mind I reached out, but they apparently weren't interested. I'm not surprised though. The Essex Co prosecutor's office leaves a lot to be desired. A friend's uncle was murdered in his home when he accidentally surprised a burglar. He was stabbed 89 times and beaten over the head with a clock. Let the brutality of that sink in for a minute. The police had the suspect's DNA at the scene, I believe they had other physical evidence also. The prosecutors office initially indicted the guy on murder, but they then let the guy plead to aggravated assault. Seriously, he brutally murdered someone, and they let him plead to aggravated assault. If I recall correctly the man only served three years.
I love New Jersey, but my friend and her entire family left New Jersey and moved halfway across the country. They have a lot of resentment towards NJ, and I can't blame them at all considering what happened.
Edited: I looked up the offender. He actually served four years and four months, not three years as I had mistakenly written above. Maximum term was 6 years. I also had the incorrect information on what he plead guilty to. It wasn't aggravated assault. It was Burglary with bodily injury, the statute cited is 2C:18-2B1*2 Burglary-Threatn/Att/Inflict Bod.Inj. /2. Again, for someone who broke into the home of a senior citizen and stabbed him 89 times and beat him over the head. The prosecutor's office apparently didn't feel this man was a threat to society.
SO-Resident said:
Sure seems to be quite a few people on here who don't get it. The only identifiable Village person is Sheena - who gave a typical political response. Not that condolences are not due to the victim's family and friends. But really, that's all we get from her?
To others who complain about the stop signs being rolled - that happens almost exclusively for South bound Vose traffic. Why? take a look at the pic. You can't see squat if you stop at the stop line (the picture taken about 6' BEHIND the stop line at about where a driver would be). Those trees are likely Village trees (within 13' from the curb at 4' above ground?). Even if these trees turn out to be the property owner's the Village is responsible for ensuring lines of sight.
For those who think putting in some stop signs on Montrose would be in-effective: think again. The Village should not only put a 4-way stop here, they should also put one at (I believe) Clark and Montrose (where they have the same set up: cross traffic stop, Montrose yellow). That would slow the traffic down. If not, speed bumps are generally effective. I drive both Vose and Montrose frequently and would not have a problem taking the extra minute or so.
Why should the Village do this? SAFETY. Talking with old-timers in the neighborhood there have been two or three (depending with whom you speak) other fatalities at this corner. The Village did a study after one of these (I believe the last one) and couldn't do anything because of money. So the study is already there, more than likely with lighter traffic loads. I don't know if the Day Care on Vose next to this corner was present at that time. If it is a matter of funding (and what does four stop signs, four red lenses, and some paint on the street really cost?) I am quite sure there are enough people out there that know how to do fund raising, writing grant proposals, etc. that the funds could be acquired.
There is high foot traffic in that area - mothers walking their children to day care, other pedestrians going to and from Mountain Station. While the LAW is vehicular traffic is supposed to stop for pedestrians at a marked crosswalk, they DO NOT here - PARTICULARLY the traffic on Montrose. Further, the traffic on Montrose regularly exceeds the posted 25 mph.
About eighteen months ago, there was another accident that took out one of the two stop/caution lights. The Village put up temporary stop signs on Montrose. What happened? About half the vehicles went right through the first few days. After a few days, the volume of traffic dropped. (hmm.... stop signs reduced traffic - who would have thought). And if we are concerned about the safety of the residents (and one would think the Village would be interested in the safety of its residents) lower traffic volume is not a bad thing.
Could this have been worse? Considering the numbers of pedestrian PARENTS taking one or more children to day care, then the answer is a resounding yes.
People have asked how many people have to be killed at (or near) the intersection before action is taken? The answer - based on what the Village Officals have posted here, is: More than three or four.
I note that one large tree was taken down from the corner, on the north side of Vose. Was that a response to needed traffic control? Is anything else being done to calm or reduce traffic? Two sets of 4 way stop signs would do wonders in reducing traffic on that street.
This accident still sickens me.
How connected do you have to be to literally get away with murder?
That poor guy, just out for a walk slaughtered because the law breaking driver was more ‘important’
How would this proposal have prevented the accident under discussion?