Dorese Roberts is having a tough time making sense of how a car ended up crashing into the front yard of her East Hartford home on Friday morning. It’s the third time in eight years that a car has crashed in the exact same spot, and the second time for the exact same driver.
“I’m upset that I have to go through this again. I’m upset that my property is damaged again,” Roberts said.
East Hartford Police said the person responsible for the crash on Friday morning did the same thing in 2014 and Roberts was shocked to look outside and see the man on her property again, less than a year after crashing there the first time.
“We looked out the door and I said, “Is that the same guy from last year?” she said.
In 2014, that driver was cited for driving too fast for the conditions. This year, he’s been cited for failure to stay in the proper lane.
Roberts’ home is on Silver Lane at the top of a T-shaped intersection.
Given how many of these incidents she’s now had to deal with, Roberts and her daughter are considering asking the state to install a guiderail in the hopes that it will prevent a fourth crash.
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“They have to get over a curb, and a metal electric box just to get in the yard and they’ve still penetrated both times, three times. And the next time, it could be fatal,” said Roberts’ daughter, Desiree Robinson, who also lives in the Silver Lane home.
Officials from the Department of Transportation said they will review Roberts’ request if she makes one, but a property has to meet several requirements before a guiderail is installed.
DOT limits guiderail installations because of the potential hazard they pose to drivers and traffic.
DOT guidance on the guiderail issue states, in part:
"Since guiderail in and of itself is a roadside hazard, the Department minimizes its use by eliminating the roadside hazards whenever possible. The Department does not install guiderail for the sole purpose of protecting private property."
For now, Roberts and her daughter will begin the process of cleaning up their yard yet again, and they both hope there isn’t another more serious crash before they can figure out a way to better protect their home.
