Motorists warned after police mishap

Supervisors express concern about location of school bus stop on Rt. 926

By Nicole Brown, Correspondent, UnionvilleTimes.com

BIRMINGHAM — At the Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday night, Chief of Police Thomas Nelling reported an accident involving a police cruiser. Last Tuesday, September 13, a police officer was driving west on 926 and was caught off guard by the stopped traffic just after cresting the hill in between the two developments, Radley Run and Spring Meadows.

The line of stopped cars was a result of a UCFSD school bus stopped on the other side of 926 directly across from Spring Meadows. When the officer came over the hill, there was no place to slow down, which forced him to swerve into the other lane and onto the grass colliding with a large boulder. No other cars, or the bus, were involved in the accident, and the police officer was not injured.

The officer had had his emergency lights on; however, he was not exceeding the speed limit. His destination, or why he had his signals on, is unknown. The State Police investigated the accident, and the consensus appears to be that it was in fact an accident and no one is at fault.

The supervisors expressed concern that maybe the bus stop is not in a smart location, but that issue is left up to the school to resolve. Supervisors suggested that local drivers should let this be a lesson to all that stopped traffic can blindside drivers quickly on a hilly road like 926.

 

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7 Comments

  1. Heywood says:

    Geeze Kate… An Officer driving with his lights and sirens crests a hill and manages to avoid crashing into anything other than some boulders and you think the whole thing is Hilarious? Would you have fallen off your chair if some kids got hit?

    I side with the supervisors that the potential for an accident that may hurt or kill some school children needs to be addressed. I also side with the Police in that they are out enforcing traffic laws. You obviously don’t like them so I get the impression you have been on the receiving end of one of those tickets.

    Local Police only seem out of control because they are constantly in their area patrolling the roadways and neighborhoods. Sure they write tickets but that also keeps tax money down as they generate revenue. The State Police do not have the time to deal with the day to day policing of a small township.

    If one of “Nellings Birmies” gets you, you must have broke the law. Book ’em Danno… Tell your story to the Judge.

  2. Charles says:

    This is a general problem on many roads in this area, and elsewhere. There is no law that says this, but a driver should drive in such a way as to be able to stop if a vehicle, person, bicycle is ahead, but obscured, and either is stopped, or driving on a collision course. This applies to both hill crests and curves. I generally drive this way and it infuriates impatient drivers behind me who believe they have magical vision that allows them to see the unseeable.

  3. Kate says:

    OK, correction — he crashed into a boulder, not a car. Still. And even more hilarious – isn’t this practically across the street from the Birmingham Police Station? Not like he was in unfamiliar territory. Good thing it wasn’t a child or pet crossing the road, although I suppose that would have been their fault too.

  4. Kate says:

    Hmmm. Let’s imagine what would happen should one of us ‘civilians’ be driving in Birmingham Township and crest a blind hill much too fast to stop for traffic on the other side, consequently crashing into someone else’s car. Yes, I believe one of Nelling’s Birmies would write out a ticket to us faster than you can blink an eye. The Birmingham Police should be a cautionary tale for any other township considering hiring their own force, instead of using our State Police. I agree with you, concerned citizen — they are out of control.

  5. Jim Tucker says:

    All drivers need to take precaution when approaching the crest of a hill. You never know what obstacles may be encountered on the down slope. In addition to school buses there are other hazards such as trash trucks and trash collectors and on 926 there is always the possibility of deer. The issue is not the bus stop. The issue is the safe driving habits of everyone driving in the township.

  6. Birmingham police continue to be out of control. Should slow down and obey the law like everyone else. Glad no child was hurt.
    Typical the issue is the bus stop and not the officer.
    Would be interesting what the emergency was , via logs. Probably a traffic stop hopefully note.

    People are constantly stopped in violation of their rights by this police organization. This is being tracked.

    The school authority should get the police more education.They should be more aware than anyone where the bus stops are and when the busses are in route.

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