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Tag: Traffic

  • CRIME UPDATE: red-light runner fled scene of 4-car crash at Sunrise/Greenback

    Citrus Heights police said this morning that a four-car accident Thursday night was caused by a female suspect who fled the scene after running a red light and ramming another vehicle in the intersection of Greenback Lane and Sunrise Boulevard.

    “Initial reports are that the driver of [a] Cadillac ran a red light and broadsided another vehicle,” said Citrus Heights Police Department Sergeant Bryan Fritsch, who indicated the suspect was driving at a “high rate of speed” on Greenback Lane and fled the scene on foot afterwards. He said the suspect had been identified as a woman in her thirties, but added, “the status of her arrest is unknown at this time.”

    The collision occurred just after 8 p.m. Thursday, partially blocking traffic at the intersection as about a dozen officers responded to the scene and diverted Sunrise Boulevard traffic to Greenback Lane.

    The driver of the broadsided Hyundai was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries, while drivers of the two other vehicles involved were uninjured, according to police.

    All details have not been released yet, as police say the investigation is still underway. The incident is likely to have been caught on the intersection’s red light cameras, which take video of activity occurring after a light turns red.

  • Antelope Road Lanes Closed Twice from Two Major Injury Accidents

    Several lanes on Antelope Road at Sunrise Boulevard were shut down for five hours Monday, after officers responded to a motor scooter injury accident around 3 a.m. – just 12 hours later, Antelope Road lanes were shut down again when a bicyclist collided with a vehicle just a few blocks away at the Auburn Road intersection.

    Police_Traffic_Antelope_zoom
    Citrus Height police conduct investigation at Antelope Road and Auburn Boulevard, Monday.

    The morning collision involved a scooter carrying two people, which reports say struck a median after sliding 250 feet along the ground. Police said the afternoon collision involved a bicyclist crossing Antelope Road against a red light, who struck a van that was lawfully in the intersection.

    The morning collision resulted in several lanes being closed for five hours during commute time as police conducted an investigation, and lanes were closed again in the afternoon for about an hour.

    Police said no helmets were worn by those involved in both the morning and afternoon crashes, and all three persons were hospitalized with injuries ranging from moderate to critical.

    A Citrus Heights Police Department press release sent out after Monday’s injury accidents reminded bicyclists “to obey all rules of the road, including riding with the flow of traffic, and to protect themselves by wearing a helmet.”

    The CHPD requests that anyone who may have seen the afternoon collision contact their Traffic Unit at 916-727-5500.

  • Citrus Heights Police Arrest 3 in Weekend DUI Checkpoint

    [box]Update: since publishing this story in August, Citrus Heights police continue to hold DUI Checkpoints For more information, see story: “Citrus Heights police win $182k grant for more DUI checkpoints, safety enforcement” [/box]

    Citrus Heights police officers netted three arrests during a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint at Antelope Road and Lauppe Lane from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m, Friday, according to results released by police today.

    Police_lights_1_Citrus_HeightsA total of 767 vehicles were screened during the six-hour checkpoint, resulting in the arrest of a DUI-alcohol suspect, a DUI-drug impaired suspect and another arrest for possession/transportation of illegal drugs, according to a press release by the Citrus Heights Police Department. 10 drivers were also cited for driving without a valid license, and three vehicles were impounded, along with issuance of 13 citations.

    Citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Department’s press release said “Checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.”

    CHPD acquires funding for its checkpoints through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the NHTSA, and plans to conduct another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint in August, followed by a “DUI Saturation Patrol” operation on September 1.

  • DUI Checkpoint Planned in Citrus Heights

    Police officers plan to set up a DUI Checkpoint at an undisclosed location this weekend, as part of an effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities, according to a press release issued by the Citrus Heights Police Department.

    Two Police Officers on Motorcycles with Lights On // Photo by Luke Otterstad, Citrus Heights SentinelOfficers from the CHPD Traffic Unit will be stopping drivers who pass through the checkpoint and checking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and continuing until 2 a.m. Officers will also be checking for valid driver’s licenses, and “will strive to delay motorists only momentarily,” according to the release.

    CHPD acquires funding for its checkpoints through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and has found the results to be successful — with the Department reporting that its last checkpoint resulted in two DUI-suspect arrests, 15 citations and three impounded vehicles. The six-hour checkpoint was held on August 1 and screened 820 cars at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Birdcage Street.

    “The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes,” the release reads. “Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.”

    The Department is also planning a “DUI Patrol Saturation” for September 1, as part of its ongoing effort to reduce accidents and fatalities in Citrus Heights.