WINSLOW — The speed limit will soon be lowered on a half-mile stretch of outer Clinton Avenue in response to citizen concerns after an accident this summer that injured a man.
David Brophy, 79, has returned to the area for rehabilitation after being treated at a Portland hospital for severe rib and head injuries, according to his daughter, Jan Homer. He is undergoing rehab at MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Thayer Campus.
Additional Photos
“He’s making very small progress, but some progress,” Homer said. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Brophy, of 230 Clinton Ave., hasn’t discussed the car accident and doesn’t appear to remember any details about what happened, Homer said. According to police, Brophy pulled his car out of his driveway and into the path of a dump truck hauling a load of dirt.
Although police did not cite speed as a factor in the accident, Homer called on the town to consider a lower speed limit in that area — about a half-mile beyond the intersection of Halifax Street and Clinton Avenue — where the speed limit jumps from 25 mph to 45 mph. One of Brophy’s neighbors, Randy Huard, sent the town a letter and citizen petition requesting a lower speed limit as well.
Members of the Town Council recently said they agree and authorized the town request that the Maine Department of Transportation allow the speed limit to be lowered to 35 mph.
Paul Fongemie, the public works director, said he’s made that request in writing and said a state traffic engineer would inspect the road, which is also Route 100. Fongemie said he expects the request to be granted, as it seems like a reasonable way to moderate traffic flow in the area.
“The traffic engineer seemed agreeable to it,” Fongemie said.
Huard, who owns Huard’s Jujitsu & Karate at 234 Clinton Ave., wrote in his letter to the town that the half-mile section of outer Clinton Avenue features residences, a soccer field and four businesses that “involve a lot of children and parents departing and returning to their vehicles parked along the road.”
“It is a totally unsafe situation,” Huard wrote. “Many people on this road will testify to the close encounters that have occurred over the years. … We do not want to wait for a major accident or death involving the children or parents to lower the speed and make this area a safer area for all concerned.”
The letter included a petition signed by 26 residents requesting a lower speed limit.
Brophy’s car accident happened about 9:35 a.m. Aug. 16. He was driving a 2008 Mercury Milan when he pulled out of his driveway and into the path of a dump truck driven by Troy Chase, 38, of Pittston. Chase, who is self-employed, was hauling a load of dirt.
The impact launched Brophy’s car about 70 feet down the road into a ditch and over a grassy knoll, police said.
Chase told police that he tried to swerve out of the way of Brophy’s car but couldn’t avoid hitting its driver side. The car was destroyed and the dump truck sustained front-end damage, police said. No traffic citations were given.
Scott Monroe — 861-9239
smonroe@centralmaine.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.