Finger pushing
loader-image
weather icon 84°F


Fatal crash that killed mother, 10-year-old son under investigation

The crash that killed a mother and her 10-year-old son in east Colorado Springs remained under investigation by police on Monday, as city traffic management officials said they will not change the lights’ cycle.

Kimberly Mears, 50, and her son Raley Mears were in a red Ford Mustang that collided with a Dodge pickup Friday at Marksheffel and Bradley roads about noon. According to police, Mears’ Mustang was traveling west on Bradley Road through the intersection and T-boned the Dodge pickup going south on Marksheffel Road.

According to a preliminary review of the signal controller’s log, the lights were not operating normally around the time of the accident, but Kathleen Krager, Colorado Springs’ senior traffic engineer, did not provide further details.

“The controller’s log has been fully reviewed and we are working with police as they conduct their own investigation, we will know more in the days to come,” Krager said.

She told The Gazette on Monday that the traffic lights at the intersection have been inspected and have functioned properly since the accident.

“We are not changing the way the lights function or their cycles, they have been working correctly since the incident on Friday,” Krager said. “We are all very saddened by the tragic, fatal crash, but there’s no way to determine that the lights contributed to the collision until police complete their investigation.”

The intersection was annexed into Colorado Springs in 2006, and traffic signals were installed because of accidents there, said city spokeswoman Julie Smith.

“In the last three years, there have been 11 total accidents,” Smith said. “Prior to Friday’s accident, none involved injuries. Two involved wild animals, and two were single-car accidents.”

The accident rate at the intersection had been considered reasonable by traffic managers because there had been no injuries reported there since 2007, Krager said.

The traffic lights operate as “rest on red” signals, meaning that lights in all four directions remain red until a car approaches the intersection, Smith said. The light remains green long enough for a car or group of cars to cross the intersection.

“The light cycle at this intersection is meant to slow drivers down, because when they see the red light, they will slow down instead of trying to speed up to catch a late green light or a yellow light,” Krager said. “Our traffic managers have watched the intersection for years and we agree that the current light pattern is the best way to keep drivers safe.”

Contact Andrea Sinclair

(719)636-0235

Twitter: @GazetteAndrea

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.sinclair.376

Fading flowers remain on one of the intersection corners where a mother and son died last week in an accident at the corner of Marksheffel Rd. and Bradley Rd. on Monday, August 11, 2014. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)

Tags


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests