Politics & Government

Conestoga Residents to Police: Slow the Traffic

Residents of Conestoga Road between Sproul and Mill roads said Thursday that slowing drivers is the key to preventing accidents there.

Radnor Police Superintendent William Colarulo said he has concerns about the condition of the car that ran over two teenagers

But no one knows yet if the car, its speed or the road surface contributed to the accident, which took place just before 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31 when Kelson D’Ambra and Mary Elizabeth O’Reilly-Gindhart were struck by a woman driving a Nissan Altima.

Radnor freshman O’Reilly-Gindhart on Thursday had her first full day back at school since the accident. Sophomore D’Ambra is improving from his once critical care status.

Find out what's happening in Radnorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police are expected to make an announcement about the accident soon, but on Thursday night they held a meeting to talk about about the stretch of road where it took place.

Residents of Conestoga Road between Sproul and Mill roads said Thursday that slowing drivers is the key to preventing accidents there.

Find out what's happening in Radnorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Over the past six years there have been 22 car crashes in that stretch, including one serious accident in 2007 (although only 9 of those were “reportable,” meaning someone was injured and PennDOT only counts reportable accidents on its roads).

Those nine reportable accidents only constituted 3.7 percent of the 580 that took place on Conestoga Road in the six years, said police. And that’s not a lot.

But anecdotes from the people who live there — plus the serious accident Oct. 31 — may galvanize change in the residential strip.

Some of the options being discussed are:

  • Ask PennDOT to review and study traffic in the area
  •  Lower the 35 mph speed limit (and enforce the speed limit)
  •  Install rumble strips on the entire lane
  •  Install a speed board (so people see how fast they are driving)
  •  Set up regular speed traps

“Could Radnor Police make an effort to have presence in the area and slow the motorists down?,” asked Andrea D’Ambra, Kelson’s mother. The crowd at the meeting applauded.

“We will definitely increase our presence,” Colarulo responded.

But, he followed, “These two guys are my traffic safety unit,” said, pointing to two officers and noting a lack of manpower.

There was talk at the meeting of moving bus stops, but no conclusion was drawn.

According to Officer Kenneth Piree, who is leading the investigation into the accident, the teenagers were standing about 30 feet from the road when they were hit.


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