Franklin Lakes January 19, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Mayor seeks remedy for dangerous intersection by Frank J. McMahon Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona has written to Bergen County Executive Kathe Donovan asking her to have county officials investigate what can be done to improve traffic safety at the southern intersection of McCoy and Colonial roads. A fatal accident occurred there on Christmas Eve. The borough is responsible for McCoy Road, while the county is responsible for Colonial Road and for regulating both intersections of those roads. The vehicular accident occurred when a car driven by Laurence Sephton, 50, of Roth Avenue in the borough, was making a left turn from McCoy Road onto Colonial Road at about 5:30 p.m. when he was struck by a car driven by Ohannes Iskahanian, 20, of Massasoits Trail in the borough, which was traveling south on Colonial Road. The accident demolished both cars, according to Franklin Lakes Police Detective Lieutenant Jack Bakelaar. Sephton, the owner of the Double L Landscaping Company, was pronounced dead at the scene. Iskahanian was hospitalized. “Colonial Road is a county roadway, while McCoy Road is municipally owned,” Bivona noted in his letter to Donovan. “It is my understanding this intersection is regulated by the county. The purpose of this letter is to request an evaluation be conducted by the county to determine if certain measures can be implemented to improve safety at this location.” He added, “Drivers exiting McCoy Road and traveling southbound on Colonial Road both have limited sight distance, and perhaps implementing certain measures such as a reduction of speed, signage, and/or traffic restrictions may be appropriate in order to ensure the tragedy which occurred on Christmas Eve does not reoccur.” According to Bivona, he met with the borough’s traffic safety officer, Patrolman Robert Lyon, after the accident and visited the intersection. “I was disturbed,” Bivona said. “I never focused on how dangerous that intersection is.” Bivona indicated the cause of the accident may have been related to speed plus the fact that the road rises in that area and, once a car travels over that rise, it is right at the intersection. “Drivers exiting McCoy Road and traveling southbound on Colonial Road both have limited sight distance,” Bivona said. He has also asked the borough engineer to look at that intersection to see what might be done to make it safer, especially since a lot of borough high school students take that road to Indian Hills High School in Oakland. The Franklin Lakes Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Unit are both investigating the factors that contributed to the accident. ����������������������������� �������������������������� ✤ ����������������������������� ✤ �������������������� ✤ �������������������� ✤ ����������������� ✤ ������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ������������� ������������������ ����������� ��������� Oversized Studio Must see to appreciate ���������������������� ������������������ ������������ NOW RENTING Everyone Deserves a Great Massage by a Certified Therapist Swedish • Hot Stone • Back, Neck & Shoulder ���������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������ One Hour Massage First time customers only $ 49 ������������������������� ������������������������� 201-488-5085 ������������������������� wyckoffchiropractor.com 260 Godwin Ave. • Suite 7 • Wyckoff, NJ • 201-485-7518 ������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� �������������������� ����������������������� ���������������������� 1-19-11 Pat/Janine WyckoffFamilyChiro2x2(1-19-11) 2 x 2” Rev3 ���������������������� Participants: Dunkin’ Donuts, Chocolate, Etc., 3 Chicas Mexican Restaurant, Wyckoff Deli, Blue Moon, Aldo’s, The Brick House, La Strada, A&S, Market Basket, Foodtown of North Haledon, Sakura