Crime & Safety

Is Santa Cruz Avenue Dangerous?

Accident Wednesday afternoon involving two vehicles along the thoroughfare proves something must be done to slow down traffic, one resident says.

Two cars collided at about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday at North Santa Cruz Avenue, in front of the

The motorists involved, Manouchehr Shahab and Robert Johnson, were first shocked at what happened and then began to exchange information, calling witnesses and contacting to help them file a report and find out who was at fault.

Shahab was driving a Chevrolet that collided with a Lincoln Continental driven by Johnson.

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Johnson called the middle lane, which motorists use to turn into the various parking lots along the 25-mph avenue, the "suicide lane."

He said Shahab was traveling northbound on North Santa Cruz Avenue and attempted to make a turn as Johnson was exiting the Comerica Bank parking lot to turn left and travel southbound on the avenue.

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Johnson argued the traffic had stopped to allow him to exit the parking lot to turn left onto North Santa Cruz Avenue and that Shahab came down the road on the "suicide lane" and struck him.

"This is just ugly," Johnson complained about the narrow, two-lane road. "It's horrible and the suicide lane is ridiculous. The road is far too narrow to have a middle lane. The town needs to get rid of that suicide lane."

Witness Doug Lynner agreed with Johnson that North Santa Cruz Avenue is dangerous. He said Shahab had to step on his brakes and screech the tires before colliding with Johnson.

Lynner said the most dangerous part of North Santa Cruz, however, is whereMexican restaurant is located at 551 North Santa Cruz Ave. and the scene of several tragic accidents, including a fatality. "Someone was killed on the crosswalk there and I know there's been other cases. It's very dangerous."

Lynner lamented that motorists speed along the avenue and said as a regular walker he's come close to being hit by cars multiple times. "I can't tell you how many times that I've been walking across the cross walk and somebody will come around and try to zoom around to the left or onto the right to get by them and just narrowly missed me," he said.

Lynner said he was actually hit by a car at Lark Avenue while on his bike, but he somehow escaped injury. "Drivers around here don't pay any attention ... it's all where they're going and when they'll get there."

A Los Gatos Monte Sereno traffic patrol officer responded to the scene and was taking down information to file a report and conduct an investigation into the accident.

Police Sgt Steve Walpole said there have been 24 accidents in 2011 on North Santa Cruz Avenue. Of those, 19 were car versus car, two were car versus  pedestrians, and three were car versus bicyclists. Three of the accidents involved drunk driving, seven were hit-and-run incidents, seven were non-injury accidents, and seven were minor-injury accidents, he said.

 


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