Riverchase(3)-CS 870708July 8, 1987
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
RE:
Frank Trando, Director of Finance
Steve Morton, Chief of Land Development
MVA MacArthur Boulevard and Beltline Road
On July 7, 1987 at approximately 1Z:05 a.m., I was contacted at my residence
by Lt. Mark S. Leonard, regarding a multi-vehicle accident at the intersection
of MacArthur Boulevard and Beltline Road. Upon arrival at the site with Lt.
Leonard, I verified that there was a yellow stripe on the southeast side of Beltline
Road. The yellow stripe was running diagonally in a north-easterly direction
across the east bound traffic lane of Beltline Road.
This stripe was not placed by Apec, Nathan Maier and Associates, or anyone
with the City of Coppell.
Upon inspection of the intersection and the ditches, I found many pieces of this
type of temporary stripe.
I can only surmise that somehow, or by someone, some of this material was
removed from the ditch and placed on the street. This had to be done at a time
when the weather conditions were hot and dry. The glued backing of this
temporary stripe was full of dirt, and the stripe itself had three (3) to five (5)
layers where it had been either folded or patched to make a stipe of approximately
sixty (60) feet in length. Compounding the problem, is the fact that numerous
lights on the barricades, as well as the vertical panels and the barrels, were not
operational; and all the traffic control devices were dirty.
It is my understanding that an electric safety light had been contracted to maintain
these devices by Apec. The yellow stripe, in my estimation, could only have
been placed there a maximum of ten (10) days, and more probably sometime
during the 4th of July holiday.
At approximately g:00 a.m., Lt. Leonard and I contacted Dana Kamp of the Street
Department, and requested that he meet us at the site; were Dana and I burned
and scraped this temporary yellow stripe off the read to eliminate the situation.
This process was completed at approximately Z:50 a.m.
At 8:30 a.m. on July 7, 1987, I contacted Janet Vick of Nathan Maier and
Associates and made her aware of the seriousness of this situation.
SM/lsg
Steve Morton is also t.o get with Electro-Lite Corp. to see that
the flashing construction lights are a little better maintained
and that he would also meet with the construction site personel
and have them mark the area better.
I have also attempted to make contact with Ms. Janet Vick of Nathan
Maier Consulting Engineers who are the engineers on this site and
advise her of this situation and have her to be sure that when the
construction is finished the intersection is striped properly and
that any simular incidents do not occur.
Should you need any further help or information, please do not hesi-
tate to contact me.
Lt. M.S. Leonard
MSL/lam
cc: Steve Morton
Steve Goram
/ ~_~,~ The Oity With A Beautifu~ Future
Department o! Police
TO: Chief T.W. Griffin
FROM: Lt.M.S. Leonard
DATE: July 07, 1987
SUBJECT: M.V.A Beltline & Mac Arthur
On 716/87 at approx. 10:45pm, I
concerning an accident at east
#87-0612 - 716/87-10:28pm)
was contacted by the Police Department
Beltline and Mac Arthur Blvd. (Off.
Upon my arival I was advised that this M.V.A. may have been caused
by a misplaced or unremoved yellow stripe. (see diagram) After talking
to the Officers at the scene it was felt that the one vehicle involved
was eastbound on Beltline just coraming out of the construction where
the roadway narrows back down to two (2) lanes. At just about this
point', is where the yellow stripe starts at the shoulder of the
road and runs at an angle for about 65' to the center of the two
lane rd. As the driver came out of the construction area he saw
the yellow stripe and followed it directly into the onco~ming lane
of traffic, causing him to hit a second vehicle head on, flip up
and over, land on a second vehicle and roll over comming to rest
on its side about 75' east of the point of impact.
I felt that this situation needed immediate attention, since this
is such a heavely traveled road, and not wanting any further such
incidents, when the scene was cleared I went to the Police station
and contacted Chief Development Inspector, Steve Morton at home
and advised him of the situation and he advised he would meet me
at the Police Department.
Steve met me at the Police station and together we went to the scene
of the accident and i showed him the problem with the stripe and
he was in full agreement that this was a serious situation, and
that something should be done at this time.
We returned to the station and contacted Dana Kamp from the street
department to see if he had any black paint we could use to cover
up the stripe. He did not have any paint but did have a torch that
we could use to heat and peel the stripe. Steve Morton and I met
Dana Kamp at the City yard at approx. 2:00am and the proper equip-
ment was loaded onto a City truck and we proceeded to the location.
By approx. 2:45am Morton and Kamp had either burned off or peeled
up the yellow stripe tape.
'July 7, 1987
MEMORANDUM
Steve Goram, Director of Public Works
Dana Kant0' Signs/Signalization Technician
Paged out on 7/7/87 2 hours
by Lt. Leonard & Steve Morton
Police Dispatch called me at i a.m. on July 7, 1987 regarding some
center lane traffic tape at the intersection of MacArthur & E. Belt-
line, which may have contributed to a three car wreck.
Whether the wind (mother-nature) or some person had messed with
traffic tape, which apparently had been laying in the ditch. A the
~5 ft. piece of it had adhered to the road surface just east of the
intersection running from the south side of E. Beltline Rd. toward
the east and north and butted the existing center line.
I loaded up the torch and attached the rosebud (heating tip) and
met Steve Morton and Lt. Leonard at the location and proceeded to
burn the tape off of the road surface. I then returned the equip-
ment and retired home.
DFK/bb