SEPTEMBER 24, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
CORNER,
Continued from page A1
Photos taken by Sandra Kellogg following crashes on her property. (Courtesy of Sandra Kellogg)
Kelloggs' driveway. The boulder had slowed
the car, but it didn’t stop it.
The car skidded across the lawn, struck
a tree and came to a rest in front of the
Kelloggs' house. Tail light glass embedded
almost 20 feet up in the tree indicates that
the car may have vertically fl ipped before
coming to a rest on its side.
According to an incident report from
Keizer Police, the driver was bloodied
by the crash, and all three passengers
were transported to the Salem Hospital
Emergency Department for minor injuries
and evaluations.
Kellogg said if the car had been a couple
feet to the right or left, and missed the tree,
it would have barreled into the neighbor’s
house.
The Chemawa curve the Kelloggs'
house is located on, which has a 35 MPH
speed limit, may not seem overly danger-
ous. But with an almost non-existent curb
and a drop off into the Kelloggs' property,
even the smallest of mistakes can lead to
cars being launched from the road into the
yard.
A Keizer Police Department records
request showed all six crashes on the
Kelloggs' property have actually occurred
since 2017. Of the six police incident reports
fi led from those accidents, four mentioned
the driver’s failure to negotiate the left turn
as being a primary reason for the crash.
“Any moment a car could come fl ying
through this yard,” Kellogg said standing
in her yard. “I'm not going to be able to stop
the wrecks, but if we could keep them on
the road instead of fl ipping into the yard,
that would be my goal.”
Recently, the Kelloggs spent $600
installing boulders where most of the cars
enter their yard. Kellogg said the boulders
have done their job to slow the cars, but she
believes something more signifi cant needs
to be done.
After the last accident, the responding
police offi cer said to Kellogg, “It’s time for
you to go to city council.”
Five days later, Kellogg spoke at a Keizer
City Council meeting.
“We fear for our lives when we are play-
ing in the yard with our granddaughter
or even mowing the lawn,” said Kellogg.
“I’m asking the city if you would work
with us to hopefully put in more boulders
or some idea of how to prevent this from
happening.”
Mayor Cathy Clark directed staff to fi nd
a solution for Kellogg’s yard and the entire
Chemawa curve.
“There’s got to be a solution for this.
And I’m sure there will be,” said Councilor
Roland Herrera.
The Aug. 18 meeting wasn’t the fi rst
time the city has heard about the danger-
ous crashes at the Chemawa curve.
In July, the city placed large boulders on
Chemawa across from the Kelloggs' house.
According to Kellogg and police incident
reports, the boulders were in response to
a crash in which a distracted driver had
driven his truck through a fence and into
the back of a house. The homeowner said
it was the second time in six months a car
had driven through her fence.
The city told Kellogg they couldn’t do
anything for her side of the road as cars
would just go through a guard rail.
In an interview with the Keizertimes,
Public Works Director Bill Lawyer said, “I
wouldn’t consider that a dangerous cor-
ner based on the history of crashes. I’m
not ignoring the fact that there have been
crashes, but based on traffi c there haven't
been that many.”
He said the city is still looking at mea-
sures to deter the crashes, which the uneven
grade of the yard has made diffi cult.
Since the Aug. 18 meeting, Kellogg said
the city has come to her to discuss the pos-
sibility of installing a guard rail or fl atten-
ing the slope and installing larger boulders.
Kellogg said they are still contemplat-
ing the decision but are leaning towards
asking the city to fl atten the slope and
install boulders.
Cat of the Week
Name: THOR
Age: 3
HISTORY: Thor is a domestic
short-hair gray tabby.
PREFERRED HOME: He does well with cats,
kids of all ages, and calm dogs. Thor is very
aff ectionate and quiet.
WE HAVE MOVED >>> Our new location is 4157 Cherry Avenue, Keizer <<< 503-362-5611
On Your Device or In You Mailbox
UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS
MONTHLY Subscription $
5
60
ANNUAL Subscription $
Keizertimes.com/subscribe
Not sure?
Go to Keizertimes.com to get a 14-day
unlimited free trial to our site
PRINT EDITION
35
ANNUAL Subscription * $
63
2-YEAR Subscription * $
Keizertimes.com/store
EIZER times
Or call us at 503-390-1051 and
we can take a credit or debit card
payment over the phone
*These rates are for subscribers
inside Marion County