New Haven transit chief says fatal accident site may see changes

Jan. 20--NEW HAVEN -- City transportation director Doug Hausladen on Thursday said the death of 42-year-old Melissa Tancredi has kept him up this week.

Tancredi, an employee at nearby Yale-New Haven Hospital, was hit and killed by a car that drove onto the sidewalk as she stood at the corner of South Frontage Road and York Street. Police said Thursday they are still investigating the accident.

The accident evoked memories of another incident in this area that left a medical student dead in April 2008, when Mila Rainof died after being struck by a car while crossing South Frontage Road near York Street.

Rainof's accident, along with the death of Gabrielle Alexis Lee, 11, provided motivation for Hausladen to begin his involvement in local transportation.

Hausladen mentioned those deaths Thursday as he spoke to the Board of Alders' Public Safety Committee. The group helped start a discussion on ways to prevent future tragedies and possible changes at the intersection.

However, Hausladen also noted the difference between the two accidents near the South Frontage Road and York Street intersection. Hausladen characterized Rainof's death as a freak accident.

"That tragic crash wasn't the same as what we experienced the other day," Hausladen said. "The other day, a vehicle left the roadway and obviously killed someone."

Alder Sal E. DeCola, D-18, suggested the city should look into adding barriers at the intersection to help protect pedestrians at that heavily-traversed area. He said they shouldn't wait for another tragedy before taking action.

"It was sad to see that accident," DeCola said. "That left-hand turn, if something happens, that car only has one direction ... it could only go straight, into the corner of the sidewalk. There's nothing to protect pedestrians."

Police said the driver of the car that struck Tancredi was in a left-turn only lane but drove straight, striking Tancredi.

Physical barriers are being considered. Another option would be restructuring the intersection, but this unlikely due to its cost, Hausladen said.

Ultimately, City Engineer Giovanni Zinn said that any possible changes will have to include far more community input. The city will grieve these tragedies alongside its public, but also needs to work with them to find solutions, Zinn said.

"The idea here is that we create as much safety, comfort as possible," Zinn said, adding this must be done while considering that functionality isn't adversely affected.

In 2015, Hausladen said there were more than 6,000 car accidents in New Haven, which left more than one alder on Thursday with a surprised expression. Hausladen said that's a lot of crashes, though he noted data for 2016 isn't available.

These figures can be alarming when considering Hausladen said 14 percent of city residents walk to work.

It's unclear how many accidents in 2015 were fatal. But nationwide, the numbers are staggering: 35,092 vehicle deaths in 2015, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These are all deaths Hausladen said are preventable. Car accidents are a disease, Hausladen said, which it makes them largely preventable.

"These 35,000 deaths are unacceptable," Hausladen said. "It's a public health crisis."

Educating residents on driving and biking safety at an early age could be beneficial in improve their understanding and hopefully prevent more accidents in the future. Addressing big-picture issues such as distracted driving and ensuring drivers yield properly and obey traffic signals will improve overall safety.

Police have taken traffic safety "to a new level," Hausladen said, and he acknowledged their work in helping reconstruct and investigate the accident.

Tuesday's accident has prompted a meeting between the city and Yale-New Haven Hospital, which Hausladen said will give hospital staff an opportunity to offer input and feedback.

"We are very much grateful for putting together a meeting," Hausladen said.

Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901.

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