By Jeff Lipton
The accident took place on Aug. 19 at 10:55 a.m., when Sam Goldfarb, 60, was backing out of his driveway at 653 East Olive St., near Roosevelt Boulevard, and his car was struck by a vehicle traveling west. That vehicle, driven by Melissa Neilson, 27, of Long Beach, caromed off Goldfarb's car and crossed the street, slamming into a vehicle parked in the driveway of 650 East Olive, a Long Beach Police Department spokesman said.
The out-of-control vehicle then hit a boat trailer, pushing it into the garage door and support column of the house at 650 East Olive, police said. No one was reported injured and no summonses were issued, according to police. A police report stated that Neilson's view was apparently obstructed by other parked cars, causing the accident.
"She came out of nowhere," said Goldfarb. "When I started backing out, there were no cars coming. She pushed me, I would say, four feet west of the driveway.
"I’m concerned," said Goldfarb. "We were actually very lucky because where the car hit the boat trailer, an elderly couple are normally outside. They weren't outside then. And within the houses there are several kids, and they weren't playing outside, and that was a good thing."
Goldfarb said the traffic lights are not synchronized on the city’s main thoroughfares, so drivers use blocks such as his as shortcuts. "More stop signs would help, but they don't obey them anyway," he said.
Bob Shanley, who lives on East Olive Street, said the end of his block has no stop sign, which adds to the confusion and danger.
Other residents said that drivers don't like to use the main streets because they have to stop at a red light at each intersection, prolonging their drive by several minutes. Instead, they use East Olive and streets like it. "The drivers don't like to use lights ... so they come down here," said Shanley. He added that the stop signs are inconsistent in his neighborhood, with some streets having one, two or three signs. "This is an ongoing thing -- it happens all the time," Shanley said of accidents or near-collisions. "It's lucky that no one got hurt. I think somebody could get killed over here. It's looking that way. It's a shame that people don't want to do anything at City Hall.
Joseph Shannon, a 76-year-old who lived in Florida and spent his summers in Long Beach, was struck and killed by a school bus while riding a bicycle on East Olive Street, near Monroe Boulevard, on July 28, police said. The bus driver was not charged in that accident and was not accused of any wrongdoing.
Resident Richard Boodman has been waging a campaign for more traffic controls and enforcement on city streets. "The traffic situation is out of control," said Boodman. "Evidently, there’s a reluctance on the part of the city to address this issue. They’re hoping it goes away, instead of properly deploying our well-trained police force. Pedestrians, decent motorists and bystanders are being put in harm’s way.
"They need to enforce the laws," Shanley added. "The laws were made for 1950, not for 2000. And if there aren’t enough cops to enforce the laws, then they should make the laws stricter. Why can't we step up to the plate and make a mark in Long Beach?"
Residents said that in their haste to get through town, drivers often exceed the speed limit. "It's so backwards over here," Shanley said. "There are so many arrogant drivers that we need more police to enforce the laws."
Long Beach police said they are constantly on the lookout for traffic lawbreakers and issue more than 7,000 summonses for moving violations each year. Police officials said they have seen a "sizable reduction in the area of car crashes" since more stop signs were installed in 2004.
"The stop signs were put up very systematically," Lt. Michael Tangney said recently. "It creates a safe atmosphere."
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
