Study: 4-way stop needed at Summit and Spring streets in Elgin

Yesenia Perez and Jose Zamora, whose lives were altered indelibly after a car crash in January, agree on one thing - hearing that a northeast side intersection in Elgin might get a four-way stop sign soon is good news.

The 36-year-old Perez has needed physical therapy for back, arm and leg injuries since the accident Jan. 27 at Spring and Summit streets in which Zamora's father, 66-year-old Guillermo Zamora-Enriquez, lost his life. All are Elgin residents.

Perez said she drives past that intersection, which has a two-way stop sign on Summit Street, on her way to and from work - and she always thinks of what happened.

"I always notice other vehicles on the opposite side, and their tendency is to yield (not stop) because it's not such a busy intersection," she said. "People aren't watching. They are not really looking."

According to a police report, Zamora-Enriquez was heading east on Summit Street and either yielded or stopped at the stop sign, but then drove right into the path of Perez's car, which was heading south on Spring Street. His car then hit a home on the 400 block of Spring Street. A traffic study completed last week shows that although traffic volumes aren't very high at the intersection, the number of crashes - 24 in the last three years - warrants installing a stop sign on Spring Street as well, according to documents provided by city officials.

Zamora-Enriquez was the only fatality there in the last three years. Five of the other 23 accidents resulted in injuries.

Jose Zamora said he's been to the site of the accident twice, both times recreating the path that his dad, a native of Mexico who had six children, took more than three months ago.

"I don't know exactly what happened that day," he said, "but if you're on Summit Street, you can't see who's coming from Spring Street. You just can't see."

His mother, who was a passenger in his dad's car, is only now starting to recover from her emotional and physical injuries, Zamora said.

"February and March were very bad, but thanks to God she's doing better now," he said.

The traffic study, which cost about $2,000, was done by Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick of Elgin at the city's request after the police department pointed to its need, Rokos said. The city doesn't have an in-house traffic engineer.

The city council has to approve each new stop sign request but is expected to vote on a proposed ordinance giving the director of public services the authority to add or remove stop signs, Director of Public Services Greg Rokos said. That ordinance might be on the agenda for the May 27 council meeting. If approved, the stop sign on Summit Street can be installed within a couple of days, Rokos said.

Police Cmdr. Ana Lalley, who heads the traffic division, said no-parking areas were also implemented near the intersection to help visibility.

Perez said she was back at work at Elgin Area School District U-46 within five days and is making slow progress in physical therapy. The safety of neighborhood streets can be illusory, she said.

"They (drivers) think because it's not really busy or congested streets, it's safe for them to go," she said. "But it's not like that."