Two injured following collision at spot where city covered traffic lights
A Friday morning traffic collision at the intersection of Albert and Elgin Street sent two people to the hospital with minor injuries, according to local police.
The downtown intersection where this incident took place is one of three locations where the City of Sault Ste. Marie recently disabled traffic lights as part of an ongoing effort to study traffic efficiency and safety.
The crash itself took place around 10-10:30 a.m., according to an eyewitness at the scene.
Kenna DuFresne, who works at the Michipicoten First Nation child welfare office located at this intersection, told The Sault Star she saw a Jeep travelling on Elgin hit an eastbound UCAB van.
Photos provided by DuFresne show the van had come to a stop a couple feet in front of the office, running over a fire hydrant in the process.
DuFresne said first responders, including paramedics, police and firefighters, arrived at the scene a short time after the crash.
The city officially began the trial phase of its traffic signal study last week. This project involves covering up traffic lights at three intersections (Queen Street East and Church Street, Albert Street and Elgin Street, Albert Street and Dennis Street) and installing temporary stop signs in their place.
The initiative was put in place to help the city evaluate different traffic solutions, including signal timing, dynamic signaling protocols during peak hours and removing traffic signals deemed redundant in specific areas.
It is not clear at this point if the lack of traffic signals at Albert and Elgin contributed to Friday's collision.
However, DuFresne views this project as a safety hazard based on what she's seen and heard throughout the last couple weeks.
"All day long we hear honking horns and screeching tires and people screaming," she told the Star on Friday.
"I said last week it's only a matter of time before an accident."
In a June 5 Facebook post, Sault Ste. Marie police reminded motorists that they should not treat these three intersections as four-way stops.
Instead, drivers on Queen Street East and Albert Street have the right-of-way, whereas motorists on Church, Elgin and Dennis must stop before proceeding.
"Please be mindful of these changes when driving downtown for the next 3-4 months and abide by posted signage," the post read.
DuFresne remains unconvinced.
"But really, the court house is right there," she said, motioning to the Ontario Court of Justice parking lot located across the street from the crash site.
"This isn't a practical way to take away the (traffic) light. It's just a bad idea all the way around and a very poorly executed study."
The Star reached out to the city for a comment on Friday's collision, and the ongoing traffic signal study, but did not receive an immediate response.
Members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback on this traffic signal study through an online survey, which is accessible through the city's official website.
kdarbyson@postmedia.com
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Kyle Darbyson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star
