A Thursday snowfall makes driving treacherous in Geneva.
Remember that 2 to 4 inches of snow we got on Feb. 7—and how wet and slippery that snow turned out to be? Well, there's a good chance a lot of Geneva drivers remember it well, including the folks involved in one-car accidents reported in this week's Geneva Police Department files.
One-Car Accident with Injuries on Dodson Street—The front of a Pontiac G6 drivern by Janelle Underway, 22, of Geneva skidded on the wet snow and struck a tree on the north side of the 0-99 block of Dodson Street around 3:38 p.m. Feb. 7, Geneva police reports said. A passenger in the car, Patrick Villwock of Geneva, was taken to Delnor Hospital by Geneva Medic 251. Underway was issued a warning notice for operating a vehicle with an expired registration sticker. More than $1,500 damage was done to the vehicle, and a tow was necessary after the crash.
One-Car Accident on James Street—An Oldsmobile Alero driven by Abby Schindler, 21, of Geneva slid on a snow-covered curve while traveling east in the 1300 block of James Street around 4:13 p.m. Feb. 7, when the Alero's front tire hit the curb, causing between $501 and $1,500 damage, reports said.
One-Car Accident on Bent Tree Drive—A Chevrolet Panel driven by Jamie Peterson, 24, of Burlington damaged an awning of Eagle Brook Country Club, 2288 Fargo Boulevard, around 10:05 a.m. Feb. 7, reports said. The owner of the vehicle is Unique Party Rental, Inc. Less than $500 damage was done to any one person’s vehicle or property, according to reports.
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Tom Brown
10:33 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
The message should be more than just "Be Careful Driving in Snow!"...
The first incident, since the car had expired registration, it's not a stretch to imagine that the tires were under the legal tread limit...a real factor in winter driving safety. A good set of all-season tires could have prevented this. In the US, we just ignore this equipment stuff as a cause for crashes. It's always classified "excessive speed".
I'm also amazed at the number of people who drive in snow, heavy rain and fog without lights on..It's the law! Why isn't it enforced? The driver thinks, "I can see OK. I don't need lights." Missing the point, eh?
I was in a collision at Rt 31(blinking red) and Rt 38 (blinking yellow) during a blizzard 25? years ago. I waited 15 minutes to cross Rt. 38. Line of cars behind me. Finally, it was clear and I moved. Wham! Speeding eastbound dirty white car with no lights. Impossible to see him! My ticket, my fault, my insurance increase. Thanks, man.
Then there are the cars with headlights that don't work. I have politely notified several people while stopped at intersections that they have headlights or brake lights out. Invariably, they say "Yeah, I know". Duh....
They won't fix em if they're not stopped.
Find a car with busted headlights and 80% of the time, you'll also find a DUI or worse.
I would love to see better enforcement on safety items like this. Prevention!!!