EL DORADO — An El Dorado Fire Department vehicle was damaged Christmas night when it struck a median on South West Avenue en route to an emergency call, prompting the mayor to consider removing the median.
It’s the latest in a series of mishaps that have occurred since the concrete island between the east campus of South Arkansas Community College and the El Dorado Conference Center was built nearly two years ago.
The structure, which includes planters, was built to slow down traffic and provide a safe crossing for pedestrians.
Mayor Frank Hash is calling on other city officials, the community college and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to helpfind a solution to prevent more vehicle accidents and nearmisses.
The answer may be to remove the median, the mayor indicated in an e-mail.
“I’m afraid that our experiment with this [device] has gone critical after a continuous history of similar mishaps,” Hash said. “I believe that I would be most derelict if I continue to ignore the motor vehicle accidents and personal injury that the [device] has caused, particularly when possibly disabling emergency response vehicles.”
The emergency call on Tuesday turned out to be a false alarm, but the accident caused an estimated $1,000 in damage and towing fees for the Fire Department’s new emergency response/mobile command sport utility vehicle, Fire Chief Chad Mosby said.
Mosby said the SUV’s driver’s side tire struck the concrete curb of the island while passing through the area on Christmas.
The tire was cut, and when it went flat, the rim broke, Mosby said.
He said replacing the tire and rim and having the SUV towed to Central Fire Station cost about $1,000. The SUV has been repaired.
Mosby said rain, sleet and snow Tuesday, combined with darkness, impeded visibility during the emergency run.
“We have to be careful. It’s one thing when it’s a smaller vehicle, but when it’s a firetruck or a larger city vehicle, the bigger the tires, and that can be costly,” Mosby said.
Similar reports have cropped up since the island was installed, and officials have searched for ways to improve safety.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 16 on 12/29/2012