Woodland Superintendent Maria Armstrong is urging drivers to slow down in light of two recent accidents near Woodland High School, in which passing vehicles struck three students.
“We are asking drivers to slow down,” Armstrong said. “They need to be overly cautious about school crossings, it”s just so important because we are endangering our kids” lives.”
The most recent accident happened Monday morning when Michael Phelps, 30, Woodland, struck a 15-year-old boy riding on his bicycle. The boy was wearing a helmet and was transported to UC Davis Medical Center to be treated for what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries.
The accident was the second to occur at the popular intersection of West Beamer and California streets this month.
Sisters Evelyne and Devina Alvarez were hit in the same intersection a few minutes before 8 a.m. on the morning of Sept . 11 as they crossed the road to get to class.
Rebecca Ayon, 82, of Woodland was driving a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder when she hit the girls on Beamer near California Street.
“I didn”t see them at all,” Ayon said after the accident. “The sun was in my eyes.”
Both girls were transported to UCD Medical Center to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
In light of these incidents, Woodland High School administrators are questioning the safety of the intersection and are looking at options to help stop what appears to be the beginning of an unpleasant pattern.
“People drive down both streets like it is a raceway,” said Woodland resident Paulette Smyth, who lives near the intersection. “One person speeding onto California Street ran up into my yard and hit my tree. He was coming out of the student parking lot.”
Throughout the years Smyth has witnessed students racing across both streets while drivers fly down them, nearly causing accidents on multiple occasions.
Smyth would like to see more speed bumps or a traffic light to help protect students as well as her family.
In terms of finding a long-term solution, Armstrong has been working with the city to get the intersection evaluated.
The city was aware of the incidents at the intersection, according to City Principal Civil Engineer Katie Wurzel.
“The city began a traffic study of the intersection last week,” Wurzel said. “This study was scheduled in response to a request for additional stop signs received after the incident earlier this month. The study includes a review of collision history and the collision reports for the intersection and an assessment of vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle volumes. This, along with other information, will be used to determine if criteria are met to install additional stop signs at the intersection.”
Meanwhile, a crossing guard has been placed at the intersection, but drivers are still speeding down Beamer, a bad habit Armstrong hopes will be broken soon.
“Even with a crossing guard, cars are zooming through and do not stop,” she said. “People are so used to speeding through there. We have to retrain ourselves.”
Woodland police officers were placed at the intersection Tuesday, pulling people over and giving out speeding tickets. Prior to this month, the last reported accident to happen at Beamer and California was a two-car collision on June 9, which resulted in no injuries, according to police officials. However, there was an accident at the same intersection last school year and years past.
“Even though we”re working with the city right now, it seems like we”re not working fast enough,” Armstrong said. “Whatever solution we put in place, drivers need to remain vigilant to protect our kids.”
Contact Sarah Dowling at 530-406-6234.
