South Beach journalist says negligent public officials should be charged with involuntary manslaughter

BAD ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN IN SOBE AT 6TH & JEFFERSON

January 31, 2012, 1:00pm

Filed by David Arthur Walters
THE MIAMI MIRROR

MIAMI BEACH—A motorcycle speeding north on Jefferson Avenue through the blinking yellow light at the intersection at 6th Street & Jefferson nearly hit a bicyclist travelling east on 6th Street who had stopped at the sign and then proceeded through the intersection.

Two sanitation workers who stop their street sweeping machine at the corner every day to fill it with water from the hydrant were not surprised.

“I see an accident almost every day,” one worker said, shaking his head. “An accident is waiting to happen here.”

“That’s right,” I affirmed. “Everybody says that about this intersection. And accidents have happened here. A man was run over here the other day. I included this dangerous corner in my article in the Sunpost.”

“It’s their fault. They don’t pay attention to the lights. There’s a yellow light on the avenue and stop signs on the street. Yellow means to slow down. But they don’t.”

“The state definition for blinking yellow means caution,” I said, “whatever that means, and a steady yellow light means speed up to make the light. So they are confused.”

“Where did you get your license?” asked the sanitation sweeper driver.

“I don’t drive. But I know that city officials have the wrong attitude, that the accidents are the fault of stupid people. But the city is at fault too. There should be a four-way stop sign or four-way traffic light here just as there is a four-way light there,” I said, pointing at the 6th Street and Meridian Avenue intersection a block away.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I know, and I noticed the city manager’s assistant Hilda Fernandez and the police department a few weeks back that some immediate safety measure should be taken, but I was told the traffic engineers won’t get to this intersection until the end of this month, and here it is, the last day. If someone gets killed, it’s on them, and the lawyers will sue the government agencies for negligence. My notice is on record and everybody knows this intersection is dangerous.”

“For how much?”

“The amount is limited, but the legislature can override the limit, and they very well should given the callous attitude of the managers responsible for safety. As far as I’m concerned, the officials who have been told about this situation ought to be personally charged with involuntary manslaughter if someone is killed here. By the way, the sanitation department is the best department in the city as far as I’m concerned.”

“Tell people that.”

“I shall be glad to.”

UPDATE: In response to this article, Capt. Mark Causey of the Miami Beach Police Department advised that the intersection in question is scheduled for stop signs making it a four-way stop. January 31, 2012