A pickup truck carved quite the path of destruction in downtown Oxford Tuesday morning and knocked out the traffic signals at the intersection of Burdick and Washington streets.
A 71-year-old Addison Township man driving a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck destroyed three light poles, two trees, a street sign and most significantly, the control box that operates the signals that regulate traffic flowing through the downtown area’s main intersection.
The trail of debris was located along the south side of W. Burdick St. between Hudson and Washington streets.
Oxford Fire Lt. Brad Horton said he witnessed the truck make an illegal left-turn out of the northwest parking lot’s easternmost driveway, then accelerate as it headed east.
‘He jumped over the curb and just accelerated. He went right down the sidewalk,? Horton said. ‘He was moving. I’d say (he was going) easily 30 miles an hour, if not more. I’m not a cop (who’s able) to judge that, but I would say he was moving.?
But according to the information gathered by Oxford Village Police Officer Dave Churchill, the driver was making a right-turn off Hudson St. onto W. Burdick St. when his foot got stuck underneath the brake pedal, but on top of the accelerator.
‘I can see that happening,? Churchill said. ‘It’s one of those things.?
No citation was issued.
Workers from the village DPW quickly cleaned up the debris and erected temporary stop signs at the intersection. Motorists are asked to treat it as a four-way stop until the signals are operational again.