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Crash tops gripes on Taylor project

Crash tops gripes on Taylor project

TAYLOR - Complaints about an ongoing construction project erupted during a Taylor work session Tuesday over a crash at Prince Street and Barbara Lane.

"In my opinion, it should never have happened," council President Kenneth Mickavicz said.

The wreck happened at 11:33 a.m. where the Hazleton-based Penn Earthworks Inc. was continuing a project to add 15 new catch basins to Greenview West development to help alleviate flooding.

Since the project began roughly two and a half months ago, it has been the source of several complaints, Mr. Mickavicz said. Most of the problems have ranged from dirt in the road to holes that have not been covered, but this accident was the "last straw," he said.

"We've never had this many complaints on this type of project," Mr. Mickavicz said.

The council president went on to say that the vehicle involved in the wreck drove through a pave cut, or sudden dip in the road, after it passed a stop sign, causing the crash.

Penn Earthworks owner Joe Umbriac said a blacktopping truck was on the way to fix the pave cut and was minutes away at the time of the crash.

Mr. Umbriac also claimed the car ran through the stop sign at the intersection and through cones that were set up to alert drivers to the pave cut.

"We can't help if somebody's going to run through a stop sign. We can't help if somebody's going to disobey someone screaming at them and waving their hands telling them to stop," Mr. Umbriac said. "Accidents happen."

Mr. Mickavicz also raised concerns about the placement of the cones, saying that the spacing could have confused drivers.

"Why wasn't the road blocked or barricaded?" Mr. Mickavicz asked. "At the very least when the blacktop truck comes through that way, put the flagman there. If you didn't have a flagman or somebody to direct, then, in my opinion, and my opinion only, it could have been prevented."

Mr. Umbriac said the project should conclude in a week.

In other business:

n Council decided to reconvene on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss a rough draft of the 2013 budget.

n Council considered having Pittsburgh-based American Risk Management Services Inc. review three years worth of workers' compensation claims to see if the borough is owed a credit through errors in claim entries.

n Council will send the Lackawanna County Association of Boroughs $200 to fight the commuter tax, pending a vote on Nov. 13.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter


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