22- Interesting Accident Angle

It used to be that when a car backed out of the Playhouse Plaza parking lot, across two lanes of traffic and into a car parked along the opposite (westbound) side of Route 212 (and yes, this HAS happened before...) the fault lay entirely with the driver backing up the car.

Yesterday, although I did not hear it firsthand, the neighbor who called dispatch and called me to the scene told me that there was a dispute over who was at fault: the driver of the stationary car claims it was the fault of the driver who backed into a stationary car. But the driver of the car who backed up into the other car argues that the parked car was there illegally, mitigating the fault of the driver who backed up.

Because of the no parking signs, this dispute now exists where there used to be no dispute. It seems as though this dispute is what resulted in the police officer entering the accident into the system.

So, as we make the intersection ever safer, the activity and the danger at the intersection become more transparent, and it becomes clear how dangerous an intersection this really is.

By the way, right after my arrival, another driver parked his (dented) vehicle right behind the two vehicles involved in the accident. He crossed the street on foot, and as he passed me, I told him that he was parked illegally. He looked at me like I was nuts. I told him that an accident had just occurred and that it was no longer legal to park there. I also told him that there was a police officer on the scene, currently in his cruiser, writing up the accident. His response?

"Who the hell are YOU?!"

"I live here," I told him, not really wanting to give my name.

"Oh, you LIVE here," he mocked me. "I have lived here for twenty years! You LIVE here," he mocked me again. "Leave me the hell alone," he snapped, and walked into Lori's for something easily sweeter than his disposition.

With that kind of attitude among local citizens, we need enforcement at that corner. We need to ticket people who park on the north side of Route 212.

I went to the police officer, who was busy entering the information of the parties involved in the accidents. I told him that somebody had told me off when I told him that it was illegal to park in the no parking area, even after I pointed out that there had been an accident and that there was a police officer on the scene. He said he'd take care of it after he finished with the accident.

I pulled my car around the block, and parked (legally) so that I could watch what happened next. The rude man who parked illegally drove away before the police officer was finished with the accident.