The number of automobile accidents that occur here in broad daylight, with beautiful weather, is truly astonishing.
This one happened late this morning, on the Post Road across from the Westport Inn.
(Photo/Jennifer Johnson)
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
This time.
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No worries, those will buff right out.
LOL LOL!
Too many distracted, speeding drivers.
An alarming conversation with one of Westport’s finest disclosed “you would be amazed how many Westport drivers are out driving drunk or on drugs at any given time of the day”!
Scary!
As a former EMT for Westport and Weston I have seen a lot of distracted drivers and impaired drivers at all times of day and night having and causing accidents. So glad no injuries in this one!!!
Let’s stop calling them “accidents.” You too Dan. They are “crashes.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/23/science/its-no-accident-advocates-want-to-speak-of-car-crashes-instead.html
I saw that story too, Andy. That’s why I called it a “crash” in the headline. Didn’t want to repeat myself in the text. Let me know a few good synonyms for “crash,” and I’ll use ’em next time.
So political correctness has entered the world of traffic safety now! I see no difference of meaning between accident and crash; neither implies fault nor excuses it. Why not focus on better enforcement and road design, instead of semantics.
Hi Peter
To some people it means a lot! Not just semantics.
Accidents just happen- like a meteor hitting your house or a sink hole opening under your car. No way to avoid it- not your fault at all.
Crashes are not accidents- they are caused by inattention, disobeying the law, lapses of judgement, not using common sense and just plain stupidity. Police and insurance companies assess what happened and lay the blame on someone.
Saying that a crash was an accident is just a lame excuse trying to claim “it wasn’t my fault and it could not have been prevented.”
When a plane crashes why don’t you call that an accident? Or do you?
Actually, the NTSB — the world’s most respected transportation safety organization — happens to refer to transportation disasters as just that: accidents. See their Accident Report database. “http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx”
Because NTSB sets the bar of expertise very high, its investigations are led by engineers, scientists and pilots. Thus they are relatively free of the PC doublespeak promoted by activists, politicians and the chattering classes.
Honestly, the choice of words is not what leads to greater safety, it’s the science, the regulation and the training. Look at the Russians: Wonderfully expressive writers. Astoundingly poor in the safety department, however!
I guess we can call them airplane accidents and train accidents- does sound less threatening! I’ll call it a car accident as long as we agree it was no accident that caused today’s crash on the Post Road
Just say that you are overwhelmingly crashing bored. (is that a synonym plus a double entendre?)
Collision. Wreck. Smash-up. Coffee klatch (just kidding on the last one)
These strip mall stretches like the Post Road, Black Rock Tpke, Rt 7 — they all desperately need to be re-engineered, because the only significant improvements since the 50s are a handful of protected left turns.
Unlike newer commercial strips elsewhere, there are no parallel service roads designed to siphon traffic on or off the main road at predictable intervals.
So, thanks to the ever-changing hodgepodge of retail turning or lane-changing cars can suddenly impinge upon a 45-50 mph stream of traffic practically anywhere or any time.
You’re SO right about this! People travel well above the limits on these stretches, and if it’s deemed acceptable for the area by enforcement if not statute, then the engineering should match that.
The re-engineering would probably look like Rt 1 in New Jersey. Barrier in middle of road so no left turns. Limited entry even for right turns. Not sure that alternative is what Westporter’s want.
Texting.
Jane
41 Dorethy Road
West Redding, CT 06896
Phone: 203-938-7434
Cell: 203-984-5923
Fax: 203-938-7078
ttmjrm@optonline.net
Distracted driving for sure. I-95 and the Merritt are nightmares day and night. All turns onto the Post Rd. should be right turn only unless there is a traffic light.
texting for sure
Driving is a full time job.
I too am betting on texting. I drive to Stamford every morning, and back to Westport in the evening, and it now seems that I am almost always behind someone who is texting and driving (I drive a truck so I am able to see what they’re up to), plus they all exhibit the same signs – wandering in and out of their lanes, and erratic speed that is not consistent with the flow of traffic, and their heads looking down in their lap. Epidemic.
Driving may be a full-time job, but I swear yesterday must have been Run-A-Red-Light-Day – I saw more than 5 different drivers around town running blatantly through red (NOT YELLOW) lights yesterday. And I dare say not all of those jackass drivers were texting – they just believed that their lives were more important that those of the rest of us.
I saw those same guy, and thought the same thing. Or one of their 50 clones.
Can’t wait to read the report on how this happened. I’m trying to picture how the cars could end up this way but just can’t do it.
Someone doesn’t know that crossing a double yellow line is illegal.
Then again, maybe there was an object in the road causing the driver to cross the double line, rather than slowing down. At any rate, maybe more rumble strips are required, especially with the increasing number of distracted drivers.
It looks like the Toyota rear ended the Honda, sending the Honda across the lines into oncoming traffic.
Just today, a guy flew by in his little convertible blithely speeding along the Post Road like he was on I-95, weaving in and out of lanes. It boggles the mind.
I saw him too. Or one of his many followers.
Glad no one was hurt. This is the area where we have had fatalities.
Just down the road from this current crash site, people were struck and killed, if I recall correctly – one near the Goodwill and one in front of Shake Shack. Whenever I see a distracted driver, I give them the horn a few times and a quick disapproving look – at least they look away from their device for a moment. Be safe, people!
I’m just sayin’ This is the same stretch of road were at least two pedestrians were killed, while in the cross walk, and numerous accidents have nearly taken other people’s lives. The Maple Ave./Post Rd. traffic light is the last one till the Bulkley Ave./Post Rd. traffic light. When that traffic light at Maple Ave.turns green drivers take off and it is down hill and they just make a beeline for, (I guess) the grocery store. This is my neighborhood. The DOT needs to address this situation. Maybe now that the trailer park has been gentrified there will be some action taken. Maybe not. All I know is before the DOT turns it’s attention to the Saugatuck Bridge it should do something about this deadly situation on the Post Rd. I don’t understand what they are waiting for. There needs to be another traffic light between Maple Avenue and Bulkley Avenue. People need to be stopped. Apparently drivers’ education and tragic deaths by speeding vehicles has not made a difference.
Absolutely right on. We are being ill served by ConnDOT
And now we’ll be adding increasingly dense, affordable housing on this stretch of the Post Road. We need speed bumps on the Post Road :).
NOT – just trying to add some humor.
Dense housing on the Post Road, dense housing on Hiawatha Lane, a state financed plan to make Saugatuck a transit hub. A bridge replacement that allows ALL I-95 traffic a route through the residential neighborhoods from Fairfield to Saugatuck.
Looks like a collaboration between the Malloy and Marpe administrations to bring us the traffic nightmare of a Back-to-the-Future II Westport.
I can’t count the number of times I have been honked at and tailgated for refusing to drive above the speed limit. I want to hang a sign out my care window that says “The fact that you left late, does not constitute an emergency in my part.” Rules are there for a reason.
I agree with everything said – this time of year with all the visitors – you certainly have to be a defensive driver, but not all crashes are caused by distracted drivers. I had a terrible accident over 15 years ago on the post road, a driver had a medical emergency and lost control of his car. That crash into my car was an accident. I left the hospital that day with a broken bone from the air bag, the person causing the accident was in intensive car due to the stroke he suffered. I have not seen one mention in these comments as to what really caused this accident.
Not sure if you thought I meant that term as a pejorative. I did not. When I grew up, right around the corner during the 50s, that property was occupied by trailers and families who rented spaces. Then, the trailers were changed from mobile living units to stationary units. It was a thriving community that, unless one had friends who lived there, most Westporter’s had no occasion to notice, let alone slow down for people walking across the street. Now that the village has been “up scaled” to condos maybe the DOT will take notice.