The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Kevin Leininger column

June 23--Helen Dugan never knew what hit her.

Asleep in bed, a 21-year-old drunk missed the sharp curve at Edgewood Avenue and Lima Road in July 1986 and drove his car into her bedroom, killing her instantly. Because of several previous accidents there, the city had planned to erect a protective barrier in front of her home just two days before her death -- but rain delayed the project and the house was torn down the following year.

With more than 30,000 vehicles traveling that stretch of accident-prone pavement every day, Greg Sive hopes it doesn't take another tragedy to protect remaining homes near the intersection from a similar fate.

His concern is not merely theoretical. On June 6 a hit-and-run driver plowed into Sive's rental property at 3227 Lima and the house next door, both adjacent to where Dugan's house once stood. No one was injured, but the boarded-up facade of Sive's house indicates prevention should follow providence.

"Does somebody have to die?" asked Sive, who owns about 30 rental properties and lived in the house at 3227 Lima for a time after buying it six years ago. He now owns several other houses nearby, but recent events have convinced him that time and luck may be in short supply.

According to the Northeast Indiana Regional Coordinating Council, a transportation planning group, there have been about 120 accidents on Lima Road between Edgewood and Irvington Drive since 2005. Vehicles went over the curb in at least nine of those incidents, and Sive said the house at 3227 Lima was struck even before he owned it.

But, in fact, lightning struck twice on that block long before Sive's house was hit last month. Four months after Dugan's death the house was targeted by another drunk, which convinced the Indiana Department of Transportation (which has jurisdiction because the street is also a state highway) to allow the city to erect a temporary barrier. Eventually, the city agreed to a $45,000 settlement with her widower, Russell -- a human and financial expense that could have been avoided had action been taken in time or it hadn't rained.

Sive's concern isn't completely altruistic, of course. Even though the driver's insurance is expected to pay for the $24,000 in needed repairs, his damaged house is worth only $35,000. If his insurance company concludes the house in unsafe because of traffic conditions, Sive's premiums could increase, forcing him to charge more rent than the 650-square-foot two-bedroom property may be worth.

Still, George Santayana was right when he warned about how those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to experience an uncomfortable sense of deja vu. Avery's statistics leave little doubt that the combination of heavy traffic, a sharp curve and houses located near the street are a recipe for ongoing traffic mishaps -- some of which, as we have already seen, could prove fatal.

Sive could perhaps be faulted for bringing this to my attention instead of the city's, which could actually do something about it. But I have relayed his concerns to the proper officials and, hopefully, they will analyze the situation and take appropriate action if necessary.

In the meantime, Sive's boarded-up house remains occupied. Whether his tenants are sleeping soundly -- not to mention safely -- may be another matter.

This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. Email Kevin Leininger at [email protected] or call him at 461-8355.

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