The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
ODOT to study site of fatal crash
Department considering traffic signal at Route 44, Hosford Road
The Ohio Department of Transportation will undertake a traffic signal study at Route 44 and Hosford Road in Chardon Township following this week’s fatal crash there.
“We are also looking at the crash history on state Route 44 between Chardon Road and Girdled Road as part of that,” District 12 spokeswoman Amanda McFarland said. “The (study)
will determine if a traffic signal is warranted at the intersection.”
A traffic movement count will be completed as well to show how traffic flows at the intersection.
“We plan to complete this once school resumes in order to have the best representation of traffic flows when volumes are expected to be at (their) highest,” she said.
There were 93 crashes along Route 44 between the Lake-Geauga county border at Colburn Road and Mentor Road in Chardon in the last five years, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol-Chardon Post. Several were near Hosford Road.
Two Chardon High School graduates, Jackson Condon, 17, of Chardon, and Dominic Ricci, 18, of Huntsburg Township, died after a June 6 crash in which the westbound Toyota Prius driven by Condon failed to stop at a stop sign at Hosford and 44, according to a OHP news release.
The Prius was hit on its passenger side by a southbound Sterling commercial truck driven by 46-year-old Sean Gates of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Ricci was taken by rescue squad to TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township and pronounced dead on arrival, the OHP said. Condon suffered critical injuries and was flown from the scene by medical helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He died the following afternoon.
No alcohol, drugs or cellphone use were suspected in the incident, authorities said.
“We had three independent witnesses that saw them go through the stop sign,” OHP Sgt. Daniel Kumor said.
“Traffic from Hosford Road stops on both sides; it’s a wide intersection, site distance is good,” Kumor said. “State Route 44 is busy, I will say that. … It’s unfortunate.”
Some area residents call it a dangerous site and don’t believe the teen driver was at fault.
Michaelanne Cyvas, 21, lives at the intersection and spoke at the June 8 Chardon City Council meeting seeking support for a petition drive to ask ODOT for a traffic signal.
“I’ve called 911 countless times, because there are so many accidents there,” she said. “I realize this is the time of year when kids are out, accidents are going to happen, but I really believe that, not only Tuesday, but many other accidents in the past could have been prevented if there was a traffic light.”
City Law Director James M. Gillette said council was welcome to sign the petition as individuals, but noted that the accident location was outside the city’s jurisdiction.
Councilman Andrew K. Blackley, a public engineer, said the first step is the warrant study by ODOT, then determining who will pay for it. Signals run $100,000 to $120,000, he said.
Absent any major red flags, ODOT may resist putting a signal there, City Engineer Doug Courtney said, in order to maintain traffic flow on the limited-access highway
Mayor Nancy McArthur said she would be willing to get behind the effort with a council resolution, provided that data reveals the need for the light.
“I would probably want to see some more statistics … and get the information from the commissioners as well as ODOT, and perhaps our county engineer to make sure that’s an appropriate place to put a traffic stop,” she said.
“If the community supports it and the data supports it, I have no problem with doing that.”