Death revives signal issue

A school crossing guard’s death in Evangeline Parish on Thursday has prompted school officials to renew a request for a traffic signal at the intersection where the 60-year-old reserve sheriff’s deputy doing crossing-guard duties died after a vehicle struck him.

The fatal accident occurred at 7:30 a.m. at La. 10 and La. 376 when a vehicle drove into the path of another, causing a collision that forced a 2004 Honda driven by Kimberly Fontenot, 19, of Mamou to spin and strike Deputy John Granger, of Reddell.

Granger, a reserve deputy and crossing guard for the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, was directing traffic in front of Vidrine Elementary.

He died at the scene, according to State Police.

Granger was buried Saturday at the new St. Ann’s Cemetery following a funeral at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Mamou, according to his obituary.

The fatal crash is still under investigation and charges are pending the outcome of that investigation, State Police spokesman Trooper Stephen Hammons said last week.

Evangeline Parish School Superintendent Toni Hamlin said the collision has renewed concern over the volume of traffic at the intersection, Hamlin said.

The Sheriff’s Office provides part-time school crossing guards at the intersection near Vidrine Elementary and at Bayou Chicot Elementary, which is on La. 167, because of the heavy traffic and because both schools are located on state highways, Hamlin said.

The school system last petitioned the state Department of Transportation and Development to consider installing a traffic signal at the intersection about five years ago, Hamlin said.

The department conducted a traffic study and later informed the school system that there was not enough traffic volume to warrant a sigDnal, Hamlin said.

Deidra Lockhart, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation and Development, said Friday that the department sent a letter to the School Board on July 25, 2007, informing them that the traffic study revealed the area in question did not warrant the installation of a traffic signal.

Lockhart said data from that study is considered protected information and therefore could not be divulged.

By late Thursday morning, Hamlin said she had already received a request to look into the traffic signal again.

“We will petition again in light of what happened,” Hamlin said Thursday.

Comments

1) Comment by louisisanared - 11/09/2012

I want to say also that my prayers go out to the family. This was a loss that could have been avoided with a simple traffic signal. I do not care about studies about amount of traffic that goes through area, I think if intersection dangerous with proof of numerous accidents that a signal should have been put up. I want to see the study, Jindal!!! Tell you yes man, I'm sorry your yes woman at DOTD to release information!!!

2) Comment by louisisanared - 11/09/2012

I want to know why I have read at least 2 articles this morning about how the government refuses to give information to the public. Officials state things like "protected information" and "cannot be divulged" as reasons of their confidentiality. What is going on??? Since 1776, the government works for the "people" (us peons) and we have rights to all things our government does. What I want to know is why has this become such an issue? What does the state have to hide in this article about a study to determine if a light should be put up at a dangerous intersection? Not think about it. I'm not too smart, but this peon has figured out that the accident caused at this intersection resulted in a death. This death may have been avoided with a traffic signal and now the state will be sued, probably lose and have to pay for the loss of this individual. Who pays for the suit? That is right, us peons. So come on Jindal, why is everything such a secret. I suspect LA DOTD never did a study, because if it had been done, especially on the up and up, the state would have gladly handed over the records. Secrecy to the people is a way to cover up lies and corruption in my opinion. WAKE UP PEONS!!!! THERE SHOULD BE NO SECRETS IN CASES WHERE WE HAVE TO PAY FOR OUTCOME!!!