Category Archives: Traffic Safety Division

Charlie District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Sleeping Driver Causes Crash at Kostoryz and Saratoga

Occurred Friday, December 14, 2012, 1:13am, Kostoryz Road at Saratoga Boulevard, Major Vehicle Crash C1209459

                A 25-year-old man caused a crash at the intersection of Kostoryz Road and Saratoga Boulevard Friday morning after he fell asleep at the wheel.

A 25-year-old man drove a black 2013 Chevrolet Silverado south on Kostoryz Road at 1:13 am. The man fell asleep and went through the red light. The Silverado then struck a white 1999 Cadillac Fleetwood 4 door car and injured the two male occupants of the Cadillac.

The two injured men were both 23 years old and were treated at the scene by an ambulance crew but not taken to the hospital. Both the Silverado and the Cadillac were towed due to damage.

The 25-year-old man who caused the crash received a traffic citation for running the red light and released at the scene. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash.

Adam District, Traffic Safety Division

Utility Work Will Affect Traffic on Tuloso Road and Suntide Road

The City of Corpus Christi Traffic Engineering office advises residents that beginning Friday, December 14, 2012 and Saturday, December 15, 2012, weather permitting; Pipeline Drivers will close both Tuloso Road and Suntide Road to traffic between Up-River Road to IH-37 westbound frontage road.  Contractors will be begin the closure at 6:00 P.M. on Friday, and are scheduled to work until 6:00 P.M. Saturday evening.

Motorists who are traveling on Up River Road or westbound on IH-37 access road will be detoured onto Clarkwood Road.

Traffic control devices will guide motorists through the construction site.  While the work is underway, motorists should expect delays and are advised to seek alternate routes to avoid the area if possible.  Motorists are also advised to observe all construction warning signs and barricades for their safety and that of construction crews.   Access to local driveways will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.

For more information, please contact Traffic Engineering at 826-3547.

Charlie District, Traffic Safety Division

Road and Sidewalk Construction Affects Traffic on Sarazan Drive

The City of Corpus Christi Traffic Engineering office advises citizens beginning December 17, 2012 and for approximately 10 days, weather permitting; city contractors will be doing road and sidewalk construction on Sarazen Drive.  During this period, Sarazen Drive will be closed at the Staples Street intersection, and open to through traffic at the Wooldridge Road intersection.

Traffic control devices will guide motorists through the construction site.  While the work is underway, motorists should expect delays and are advised to seek alternate routes to avoid the area if possible.  Motorists are also advised to observe all construction warning signs and barricades for their safety and that of construction crews.   Access to local driveways will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.

For more information, please contact Traffic Engineering at 826-3547.

View more at www.cctexas.com/engineering

Email:  engineering@cctexas.com

Adam District, Traffic Safety Division

Pedestrian Struck By Car On Leopard Street

Occurred Friday, December 7, 2012, 23:35, Clarkwood Road at Leopard Street, Vehicle Crash with fatal injury, C1209317

                A 32-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle on the 9000 block of Leopard Street and suffered a fatal injury.

A gold 2000 Ford Taurus operated by a 40-year-old man traveled east on the 9000 block of Leopard Street at 11:35pm. The weather was clear visibility, but the area was a dark and unlighted. The Taurus struck a 32-year-old pedestrian in the roadway.

The 32-year-old woman did not survive the crash and was not transported to the hospital. No citations or criminal charges have been filed, and the investigation continues.

Corpus Christi Police would like to remind drivers to be safe. Pedestrians can be found anytime, and anywhere; even in places they are not supposed to be found. Pedestrians can be hard to see especially at night or in bad weather.

Pedestrians are encouraged to be predictable; stay off freeways. Pedestrians should use sidewalks where provided and cross or enter streets where it is legal. Where no sidewalks are provided, it is usually safer to walk facing oncoming traffic. It is best to dress in light colors and carry a flashlight in dark areas.

Adam District, Traffic Safety Division

48 Year Old Man Arrested For DWI After Single Vehicle Crash At IH 37 and McKenzie

Occurred Friday, December 7, 2012, 19:55, 10602 Interstate Highway 37 Driving While Intoxicated 1212070162

                A 48-year-old man was arrested Friday night for Driving While Intoxicated after he was involved in a single vehicle crash that destroyed a directional post and a cross walk box and post.

A blue 2000 Jeep Wrangler driven by 48-year-old Ricardo Ruiz (7/14/1964) traveled west on the 10400 block of the Interstate Highway 37 access road on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7:55pm. The Jeep left the roadway to the left, struck a pole, then went through the intersection of the access road and McKenzie Road, and then struck a second pole. The Jeep rolled onto its top and did not strike any other vehicle or person.

A 52-year-old witness helped Ruiz out of the Jeep and told police there were no other people involved in the crash.

Corpus Christi Police Patrol Officers discovered evidence that Ruiz was intoxicated. Ruiz was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-incapacitating injuries. Corpus Christi Police Investigators gathered evidence and Ruiz was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Ruiz was released from the hospital and delivered to the city detention center.

Traffic Safety Division

City Road Closures for December 8-14, 2012

New – Bronco Road (Between Highway 44 and Sedwick Road)

Tuesday – Friday

City work crews will close Bronco Road to through traffic beginning December 11, 2012 for four days.  Bronco will be closed to traffic at the Sedwick Road intersection, and open to thru traffic at the Highway 44 intersection.

New – North Beach Burleson Road between Surfside and Timon

Monday – Friday

On December 10, 2012, weather permitting; contractors will start work on the Chaparral Improvement city project.  The intersection of Chaparral Street and Schatzell Street will be closed to traffic.  Chaparral Street between Lawrence Street and Schatzell Street; and Schatzell Street between Water Street and Chaparral Street will be designated as a No through Traffic- Parking Only zone.  Motorists traveling on northbound Chaparral may detour onto eastbound Lawrence Street to Water Street; and the westbound traffic on Schatzell may detour onto Water Street.

New – McBride Lane (Between Leopard Street and IH-37 Eastbound Frontage Road)

Monday – Friday

James Street and Erin Drive:  Erin Drive will be closed at the McBride intersection.  Access to James Street and Erin Drive will be through the IH-37 frontage road, and both streets – James and Erin – will be closed to through traffic.

New – Staples Street (Williams Street to Saratoga Boulevard)

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

The Wooldridge Road traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound lanes and traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction through the Staples Street Intersection.  Staples Street will have the center lane closed to traffic with two lanes of traffic open in each direction beginning north of Wooldridge Road to Holly Road.  In addition, contractors will reduce the southbound Staples Street traffic to one lane 200 feet south of La Costa Drive intersection.

North Beach Burleson Road between Surfside and Timon

Monday – Friday Beginning December 3, 2012 through December 14, 2012, weather permitting; contractors will be doing sidewalk repairs on Burleson Street between Surfside Boulevard and Timon Boulevard.

McBride Lane:  McBride Lane will be closed to traffic between IH-37 frontage road and Hampshire Road.  Eastbound traffic on IH-37 frontage road will be detour onto to southbound Navigation Boulevard, onto westbound Leopard Street, to McBride Lane.   Traffic on McBride Lane will be detoured onto westbound Hampshire Road to South Padre Island Drive.

Leopard Street Westbound between Warpath Street and Lois Lane

Monday – Friday

Beginning on Thursday, November 29, 2012, and for approximately two weeks, weather permitting; city contractors will be doing hydro excavation along westbound Leopard Street between Warpath Street and Lois Lane.  During this period, westbound Leopard Street traffic will be periodically reduced to one lane of traffic between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. each day.

Sanitary Sewer Line Inspection and Cleaning

Tuesday

Beginning November 13, 2012, contractors will be doing Sanitary Sewer Line Inspection and Cleaning on various city streets to include Everhart Road, Gollihar Road, and Hugo Drive.  Expect various lane closures.

Northbound Staples Street (Booty Street – Lipan Street)

Monday – Friday

Beginning October 1, 2012 and for the next five weeks contractors will be doing utility work on Staples Street.  Work crews will periodically reduce northbound Staples Street traffic to one lane between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M.

Kostoryz Road

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

Northbound Kostoryz Road traffic will be shifted onto the southbound lanes between S.P.I.D. and Sunnybrook Road, and again shifted onto the northbound lanes approximately 500 feet past Sunnybrook. Traffic, on these two sections of Kostoryz Road, will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction.   In addition, traffic on eastbound McArdle Road will be shifted onto the westbound lane where traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction through the Kostoryz Road intersection.

Up River Road

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

The westbound traffic on Up River Road will be closed to traffic and the eastbound traffic will remain one-way traffic between Dunn-Meany Road and Dunn Lane.  In addition, Up River Road westbound traffic will be detoured onto southbound Dunn Lane, onto southbound Navigation Boulevard, onto the westbound IH-37 frontage road, onto northbound Dunn-Meany Road to Up River Road.

Bear Lane 

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

Bear Lane will be closed to traffic from the business center’s east driveway to Fortune Drive, and open to traffic from Fortune Drive to Navigation Boulevard.  In addition, Flato Road will be closed to through traffic from Bates Street to the West Oso High School’s staff parking driveway, and closed to traffic from the staff parking driveway to Bear Lane.  Meanwhile, Fortune Drive and Cliff Maus Drive will respectively be open to allow traffic from Enterprize Parkway and Old Brownsville Road to the Oso Middle School.

Airline Road

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

Traffic on Airline Road is closed to traffic between Cousteau Lane and Walls Street.  The southbound traffic detour to Cimarron Boulevard is though Cousteau Lane, onto southbound Paris Drive to La Bianca Drive; while at the same time, the northbound Airline traffic detour to Walls Street is through westbound Lipes Boulevard, onto northbound Giants Drive to Walls Street.  Residents on Sonoma Drive and Mendocino Drive will be detoured onto eastbound Vineyard Drive, onto southbound Nacogdoches Drive, onto eastbound Brooke Road to Rodd Field Road.   Airline Road between Lipes Boulevard and Rodd Field has been closed.

Staples Street and Weber Road/Doddridge Street

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

New – Beginning on Friday, November 2, 2012, and for approximately six weeks, weather permitting; City contractors will be doing road work on Staples Street between Weber Road/Doddridge Street intersection and Peerman Place. As this project is ongoing, southbound traffic on this section of Staples Street will be shifted onto the northbound lane and traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

Staples Street (Leopard Street to Six Points)

Monday – Friday

Either the northbound or southbound Staples Street traffic will be periodically reduced to one lane.

Delta District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Officer Taken to Hospital After Police Car Hit by Drunk Driver

Occurred on 12/05/12, 01:56am  Major Accident/DWI    2800 IH 37    1212050007/C1209229

A Corpus Christi Police Officer was treated and released at a local hospital after being hit by a drunk driver.  The Officer, a 13-year veteran of the Police Department was completing an accident investigation in the 2800 block of IH 37 when the police car he was sitting in was rear-ended by a red Pontiac Sunfire.

The driver of the Pontiac was rushed to Spohn Memorial by CCFD Emergency Personnel with life-threatening injuries where he regained consciousness and determined to be intoxicated.  A mandatory blood draw was taken.

Traffic and Safety Follow-Up Investigators were called to assist and the preliminary investigation determined the police car’s emergency lights were on when the Pontiac driver lost control and spun around, hitting the Officer’s vehicle with the back of his vehicle.

The 41-year-old man was not arrested due to his injuries.  He could possibly be charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Driving While License Suspended/Invalid, and Unsafe Change from a Direct Course.

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

Traffic Safety Division Enforces Speed Restrictions In Area Of Most Crashes

The Corpus Christi Police Departments Traffic Safety Division has taken action to reduce the quantity of vehicle crashes at the area with the highest risk for crashes in Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi Police have worked the majority of the vehicle crashes in 2012 at the 2500 block of State Highway 181 in the southbound lanes of the Harbor Bridge. The cause of the crashes most often are excessive speed.

The Corpus Christi Police Departments Traffic Safety Division set up for three and a half hours of speed enforcement on November 29 and wrote 108 speeding citations. The goal of the Traffic Safety Division is to reduce the risk of vehicle crashes to enhance public safety and promote the effective flow of traffic on the public rights of way.

The Corpus Christi Police Department will continue speed enforcement and desire to spread the message for the public to obey speed restrictions and arrive at their destination safely.

Delta District, Traffic Safety Division

Man Involved in Motorcycle Accident Dies

Occurred on 12/2/12, 1:59pm Fatal Accident 1700 block of Hwy 37 C1209152

Officers responded to the flyover at Hwy 37 and Hwy 286 for a one vehicle accident involving a motorcyclist.  Further investigation revealed the motorcyclist failed to control his speed on the curve and hit some gravel and debris when he traveled on the outside shoulder.

The motorcyclist lost control and struck the barrier.  The 65-year-old man was taken by CCFD Emergency Personnel to Spohn Memorial where he later died from his injuries sustained in the accident.

Community Outreach, Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

CCPD Announces Holiday Season Safety Plan

The Corpus Christi Police Department has finalized its 2012 Holiday Season Safety Plan.  Working with the District Attorney’s Office, the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, City Traffic Engineering, and the Texas Department of Transportation, the Police Department has developed a plan that will provide for both increased enforcement efforts and improved traffic flow around the busiest shopping areas. This year’s plan once again provides for increased traffic control and police presence in and around the busiest shopping areas, along with enhanced DWI enforcement throughout the city. Beginning November 23rd and continuing through December 31st, officers from several divisions will combine resources to ensure that our citizens enjoy a safe and crime-free holiday season.

Up to 26 additional officers will be redirecting their enforcement and traffic control efforts toward the busiest shopping areas in town. The officers will work staggered shifts beginning as early as 7:00 AM each day to provide additional resources to this area. Among the areas targeted for increased patrol are:

  • La Palmera Mall
  • Moore Plaza
  • Sunrise Mall
  • The Promenade (includes Toys-R-Us)
  • Gulf Way Shopping Center
  • Saratoga Town Center (includes Kohl’s)
  • Island Gateway Plaza (Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ross Department Store)
  • Wal-Marts, Sam’s Club
  • Other busy shopping areas and restaurants along SPID

Officers from the Uniform Division, the Enduro Motorcycle Unit, CID, Gang Unit and the Directed Patrol Program will conduct frequent high visibility patrol through the parking lots of these busy shopping areas. Shoplifting, auto burglary, auto theft, purse snatching, and robbery are the most common crimes committed by those who take advantage of busy and sometimes distracted holiday shoppers. Plain clothes Detectives, including those from the Auto Theft Task Force will also be patrolling the parking lots and busy shopping areas, attempting to spot crimes in progress.

In addition to patrolling the parking lots, Auto Theft Task Force officers will deploy their “bait vehicle” in the parking lots of the busiest shopping areas. The “bait vehicle” is a specially equipped vehicle complete with sensors, video cameras, GPS tracking, and a remote ignition switch that allows officers to disable the vehicle if it is stolen or burglarized.

Throughout the holiday shopping season, Traffic officers will direct their efforts toward ensuring a safe and smooth flow of traffic into and out of the malls and other busy shopping areas.  Beginning Friday the 23rd, traffic officers will be assigned to provide traffic control and enforcement at the major intersections along SPID, as well as near the entrances and exits to the malls and major shopping centers.  Shoppers are urged to monitor the large Texas Department of Transportation message boards located along State Highway 358 (SPID) and State Highway 286 (Crosstown Expressway) for important notices regarding current driving conditions, traffic crashes, and potential alternative routes.  The City Traffic Engineering Department will also be deploying at least two portable electronic message boards to communicate important traffic information to the motoring public. In addition, there will be an increased emphasis on the use traffic cones, delineators and similar traffic control devices to help maintain a smooth flow of traffic into and out of busy shopping locations.  Drivers are urged to drive alertly and be prepared to follow these devices.

Alternative Routes to Major Shopping Centers

With the increased amount of vehicular traffic around the malls during this time of the year, traffic crashes also typically increase proportionally.  Construction on South Staples Street between Williams Drive and Saratoga Boulevard is only expected to exacerbate the problems of traffic congestion and traffic crashes. As a result, shoppers this year are encouraged to take several steps to ensure their shopping trip is accident free:

  • Plan ahead.
  • Leave early.
  • Avoid major thoroughfares and intersections if possible.
  • Utilize less traveled alternate routes.
  • Watch for construction signs and workers.
  • Monitor and follow directions on message boards
  • Watch for traffic cones, delineators and other traffic control devices.
  • Be especially cautious and look out for Officers directing traffic.  Slow down and follow directions.
  • Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you.
  • Avoid distractions in your vehicle.
  • Always wear your safety belts.
  • Follow CCPD on Twitter (Corpus Christi Police @CorpusChristiPD)

In addition to the Police Department’s two full time DWI Officers, a State grant reimburses overtime costs to hire an additional 3 officers, allowing the department to place as many five officers at any one time on the street to concentrate solely on DWI enforcement.