Almost Everyone Knows
Editorial staff

The May 4 freeway crash that killed the three Coble children got the attention of John Kobylt and Ken Champou, who aired their reaction (KFI 640 AM John and Ken Show) on May 11. According to listeners who called in, those who take the Oso exit during peak times are familiar with cars stopping on the freeway because the exit ramp is backed up.

A blog reader forwarded information from the May 11 talk show. For example, 2,281 car crashes have occurred in the vicinity of the Oso ramps since 1997. A law-enforcement official drew fire for saying the crashes were mostly minor. The talk show hosts said the number alone should have alerted city and highway officials to the problem’s severity.

The talk show underlined the failure of various agencies to establish a traffic control system. The Coble parents hired a lawyer, and blame will be distributed. Initially, John and Ken remarked about the truck driver who hit the Coble minivan. According to news reports, he was driving 55 to 60 mph and couldn’t see the stopped traffic as he came around a curve. If he were distracted, that’s another story. Otherwise, cars piling up are evidence of a dangerous situation.

One person who called the talk show on May 11 said he saw another crash in approximately the same spot on May 5. After three deaths on May 4, could Caltrans not put up a flashing mobile sign to prevent more crashes? With $11 billion collected in taxes for Measure M, warning signs at the most dangerous points on the freeway would be within the budget. Another talk-show caller familiar with the road said she avoids the Oso exit by getting off the freeway at Avery – going beyond her closest exit for safety’s sake. 

Plenty of drivers have complained to government officials about the dangerous situation of cars stopped on the freeway at Oso. No one can say, “We didn’t know.”

A blog reader emailed, “Following the tragedy, lawyers will determine which parties have the deepest pockets.” Will the city be high on the list?

What’s the basis for Mission Viejo’s liability? The collective memory of blog readers is thus: the city knew about traffic backing up and had the opportunity to remedy the hazard but did not. While Caltrans widened the freeway from north of the Oso ramps to Crown Valley, the extra lanes didn’t adequately compensate for traffic slowed to a crawl on Oso, nor were any lanes dedicated to exit-only traffic. Councilman Frank Ury allegedly made a remark that the city shouldn’t be concerned about traffic backing up because the slowdown will cause drivers from communities to the east to find alternatives instead of cutting through Mission Viejo. The Planning Commission years ago voted unanimously in support of widening Oso, but the council didn’t appropriate funds because residents living near Oso objected. The city employee responsible for synchronizing lights has a pat answer that it can’t be done, which is ridiculous.

Blog readers also indicated Caltrans installed cameras, and the monitors are in city hall. City staff knows when traffic is backing up on Oso and creating hazards on the freeway. They know the patterns, hours and degrees of clogging. All remedies to get traffic moving have come to a screeching halt because of a claim that nothing can be done about it.

The council failed to light a fire under those refusing to do their job. Perhaps some readers think the blog has unnecessarily criticized council members like Trish Kelley for coming up with words of the month and inane social programs instead of dealing with real issues. The city regularly pays a high price for council incompetence, and the recent fleecing of the city by poverty pimps pushing welfare housing is just one example.

A team of attorneys will now ask questions and get answers regarding the slowdown of traffic on Oso. City employees will respond – and in a timely manner – instead of brushing everyone off, as they have done with residents for years.