Dangerous Intersections: Post Your Close Call or Accident on Our Map

A note I posted on the site Monday night about my close call with a red light runner near the Sycamore Valley Road I-680 on-ramp has raised quite a discussion on Facebook and our site.

It happened just a couple blocks away from the scene of a 2011 double fatality at Brookside. I've been in Danville a lot recently and whenever I see the dried flowers left there I think back to that story.

In fact, just a few minutes before my car was almost broadsided by a speeding white GMC Yukon (I slammed on the brakes harder than I ever have in my life and skidded just inches from hitting the car), my 11-year-old daughter noted seeing another red light runner as we left a Little League game at Sycamore Park.

"Just run the light, Mom," she said. "No one's coming." I, of course, explained that you never know if someone might come quickly out of your line of vision. And then mentioned that it's the law and you would face a big fine. She seemed to get it, pointing out the $332 fine sign above a nearby traffic signal alerting drivers to the cost of a red light ticket.

Judging from the comments on last night's post, and reading the Danville Patch coverage of the 2011 crash, that left a woman and her daughter dead, not much sadly has changed. Speeding and red light running continue to be a daily problem in this community. Commenters said:

• Something needs to be done about these people running red lights on Sycamore. I was once in a bad accident because of that, not to mention the memorial for those who died because of the same situation. I hate hearing this... The Iron Horse trail at SRV Blvd is horrible for pedestrians too. I see people run it at least once a week.

•  Just yesterday a teenager turned right off of Brookside into Sycamore heading west, cutting off me in my bike pulling my 2.5 year old in the bike trailer. Sadly and luckily I anticipated this and slowed down. He could have seriously injured both of us....oh and this was right in front of the memorial for those two women who died at that corner a couple of ears ago due to someone running a red light. I like the idea of bringing these situations to light. We have to do what we can to protect our community.

• Didn't realize running red lights was almost common in Danville. My parents car got hit by a driver who ran a red light at the Camino Tassajara & Montesorro intersection! Hope the careless teen driver is caught & disciplined!