Four cars collide on Dartmouth Street of Albany
Four cars collided on Dartmouth St. of Albany Sunday. Photo by Linda (Linjun) Fan
A black Prius ran into a Toyota 4Runner at the crossing of Dartmouth Street and Evelyn Avenue Sunday, crashing into two other cars parked near the intersection. No person suffered major injuries but the vehicles were heavily damaged.
The Prius was going southward along Evelyn Ave. and the 4Runner going eastward along Dartmouth St. when they collided, according to Officer Jose Lara of the Albany Police Department.
It was not clear whether the Prius driver had run the stop sign on Evelyn Ave. approaching Dartmouth St.. Lara said that the police department would conduct further investigation and finish a report on the accident by the end of this week.
Javon Wallace, driver of the 4Runner, said he was driving at about 20 miles per hour when he suddenly felt the crash.
“She (the Prius driver) ran a stop sign and hit me”, said Wallace.
Javon Wallace sat on the front stairs of a house near the collision scene while Lt. Mike Cesmat of the Albany Fire Department tested his blood pressure. None of the drivers got major injuries. Photo by Linda (Linjun) Fan
Wallace’s car then crashed into a Cherokee parked on the street, which was pushed to hit a Chevrolet Venture parked in its front.
Four cars had been badly damaged when the two drivers recovered from the shock of the chain collision.
“She was kind of scared as I was,” Wallace said.
After talking with police, the Prius driver, who declined interview, sat on the ground of a sidewalk watching her tattered car being towed away.
The shattered Prius. Photo by Linda (Linjun) Fan.
The accident happened around 3 p.m., Sunday, with three loud bangs disturbing the quiet neighborhood.
Nick Birnbaun, owner of the damaged Cherokee, was asleep in his house across the street then he heard the sound.
“I looked out of the window and saw this huge accident, and I found my car get totaled,” he said.
Welcome back Linjun! We missed you this summer. Have you gotten an update on the house at 1075 Talbot Ave?
Travelling on Dartmouth is very dangerous. My husband’s car was totalled when an SUV ran a stop sign. Perhaps Albany should consider making 4 way stops all along Dartmouth.
or the Ms. Sorg case? You’re the only reliable news source in town
The Talbot house is actually on the market: http://planetberkeley.idxre.com/idx/detail.cfm?cid=11&bid=1&pid=40363512
At that price ($360K), perhaps more a “scraper” than a “major fixer” as it’s being marketed.
Hey Gale,
Thanks a lot for the message. I am glad to be back. Yes I’ve got to know that the owner decided to sell the house and I’ve actually gone to the second open house Sunday.
Hey Tom,
I am trying to get an update on Ms. Sorg’s case and will probably write a follow-up story shortly.
Linjun
Other news of the past however long would include the announcement that Walker’s Pie Shop is closing; the candidates for City Council and School Board are known; a new principal at Marin Elementary and personnel changes at the top of AUSD.
I guess Albanians want to go back to the old days when you had to have some one carry a lamp and walk in front of the auto to warn people, and the average speed was 5 MPH. There needs to be a mindfulness campaign, required meditation for drivers, many fail to pay attention. Stop signs just add pollution but don’t address the root cause. I say a reporter on every street, with photos of the evil doers taken daily.
One of my pet driving peeves: drivers who refuse to allow cars backing onto Solano from angled parking places slow them down. I’ve seen them slam on the horn from half a block a way when they spot the car easing back… why not slow, and courteously allow your fellow citizen to safely re-enter the roadway ahead of you? Safer for everyone, and it’s not like it’s going to cost you more than 10 seconds out of your busy day.
Linjun, would you also consider writing a feature on the various panhandlers & “street entertainers” frequenting upper Solano? (More of the former than the latter, but I get a kick out of the fact that Sasha, the accordian guy, will up and play something like “White Room” or a Bee Gees song.)
Another thought… could you look into that very sketchy, flesh-colored ice cream truck that cruises up and down the blocks playing “Turkey in the Straw” every evening? It really looks dubious.
Today, Sept. 8, 2008, a car and a pickup truck collided at the very same intersection (Darthmouth & Evelyn); yesterday, there was a near collision in the same spot. Bad juju? or do we need 4 way stops/speed bumps along Dartmouth? BTW, I think I saw Officer Lara there today as well as last weekend.
Thanks very much for your interesting post. Will be back in the future.