BELLINGHAM, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to 2 separate crashes less than a mile apart on Eldridge Ave, the first at about 10:35pm, Friday, April 29th, and the other about 2:10am, Saturday, April 30th.
Reports were that a car had crashed into a park vehicle in the 2000 block of Eldridge Avenue about 10:30pm on Friday. Bellingham Police arrested and booked the 39-year-old driver into Whatcom County Jail charged with driving under the influence.
Reports were that a car had crashed into a tree in the 3100 block of Eldridge about 2am on Saturday. Bellingham Police arrested and booked the 20-year-old driver into Whatcom County Jail charged with being a minor driver consuming alcohol and minor intoxicated in public place or vehicle. A passenger in the vehicle was reported to have been transported from the scene to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center via ambulance.
Residents along Eldridge Avenue say, by their assessments, speed has been a factor in numerous crashes and have undertaken an effort to see motorists better adhere to the 25mph speed limit, whether through enforcement or what they refer to as “tactical urbanism.”
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Click for more informationIn at least 1 instance, these efforts reportedly resulted in causing a car vs cyclist near-collision according to the Bellingham Police Department.
A citizen reported that vigilantes had taken it upon themselves to place traffic pylons in the 2700 block of Eldridge Avenue in such a manner that the lane size had been narrowed down. The same citizen also reported almost being struck on her bicycle because of this unofficial traffic revision. I moved the pylons to the side of the road. However, when I checked back later, the pylons were placed back in the roadway. Therefore, I impounded said pylons as abandoned property.Bellingham Police Department press summary log entry (April 23, 2022) for case #22B24118
The residents say years of notifying city officials of the dangers to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians have yielded no results and the crashes continue, including 1 in April 2021 in the 3100 block that resulted in a sheared off power pole and live wires in the road and another in July 2021 that resulted in a victim having both legs amputated above the knee.
Speed AND alcohol. My mom lived in the 2900 block of Eldridge for many years and way too often in the morning she found her street mailbox crumpled or ripped out with the post, likely due to an impaired driver. Also stumbling guys pounding on her front door in the middle of the night. Popular bar down the street, and beyond that, well look at a map and go figure.
I hope those young PUNKS get the book thrown at them! Who do they think they are?