Robert Chacon
A problem intersection in La Crescenta will finally get a traffic
signal installed, more than a year after a teenager was killed while
crossing the street.
Funding for a traffic light at the intersection of Altura and
Pennsylvania avenues has been secured, said Rita Hadjimanoukian, a
district representative for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael
Antonovich. She made the announcement during Thursday's Crescenta
Valley Town Council meeting.
The project will cost $180,000 and is being shared by the city of
Glendale and Los Angeles County. It is scheduled for completion in
July.
"This is good news for the community," Town Council Treasurer
Danette Erickson said. "This has been a problem intersection for long
time."
Christine Seo, 15, a Crescenta Valley High School sophomore, was
fatally struck by a drunk driver while crossing the intersection Feb.
4, 2003. She was about 50 yards from her home.
The driver of the vehicle, Carnell Parks, pleaded no contest to
vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence and was
sentenced to six months in jail.
A year before Christine's death, another Crescenta Valley High
School student, Joe Freyberger, was hit while crossing the
intersection. He underwent two surgeries to repair damage to his leg.
Many students from Crescenta Valley High School and Lincoln
Elementary School use the crosswalk while walking to and from school,
according to Erickson.
"Hopefully, [the traffic signal] will help students and other
pedestrians stay safe while crossing the street there," Erickson
said.
The joint effort between the city and the county was helped along
by Antonovich after members of the community complained about the
crosswalk. The California Highway Patrol has reported three
pedestrian-involved accidents at the intersection in the past decade.
"Whenever you have an area with a problem that can be solved, you
have to put some footwork into getting people on the same page for a
solution," Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said. "That is what the
supervisor did."
