Drivers run new stop signs at fatal San Diego crash site
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This car rear-ended another car stopped at a Jackson Drive stop sign in December. Photo: Courtesy of Shannon Smith
After an 11-year-old was killed by a car at a San Carlos intersection last October, the city installed stop signs that drivers have frequently been blowing through, records show.
Why it matters: The stop signs were meant to prevent more tragedies like Andrew Olsen's death. Instead, many drivers appear to be either missing or ignoring them.
By the numbers: Police gave out 39 tickets for not stopping at the signs on Jackson Drive and Lake Baldwin Avenue in the three months after they were installed Oct. 30.
- Half of those tickets were issued in the first month.
- Officers also gave out warnings, but they don't track those numbers, police spokesperson Anthony Carrasco told Axios.
Catch up quick: The crash that killed Olsen and injured two other children occurred after at least one resident had spent more than a year fruitlessly begging the city to address the dangerous intersection.
- City officials said it didn't meet the criteria for a stop sign or other traffic calming measures.
- After Olsen died, the city added stop signs because of a special request from Councilmember Raul Campillo.
Driving the news: Police boosted patrols at the intersection to grab drivers' attention after the stop signs were set up, Carrasco said.
- "We use lights and sirens because we want as many people as possible to see us and be aware we're watching and paying attention," he said. "If more people are aware, if they take photos, post about it on social media, that will spread, and we'll get compliance."
Some officers "felt the gravity of the tragedy" and were personally impacted by it, so enforcing the signs held special meaning to them, Carrasco said.
Friction point: Three residents told Axios the stop signs aren't enough and they want the speed limit lowered from 40 mph to 35 mph.
- The city is collecting more data on traffic at the intersection before making a decision on the speed limit, city spokesperson Anthony Santacroce told Axios.
What's next: The City Council will decide in March whether to lower the speed limit as part of the Citywide Speed Management Plan, Michael Simonsen, Campillo's chief of staff, told Axios.
- The plan would reduce speed limits on 20% of roads, and prioritize roads in school zones.
But the $2.4 million plan would need funding in next year's budget.