Three cars collided at one of Riverton’s busiest intersections on Tuesday evening, leaving two drivers with minor injuries and bringing traffic in the city center to a standstill during the rush hour. Police, firefighters and two ambulances were at the scene within minutes.
The crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. at the junction of Harbor Road and Linden Avenue, where heavy rain had been falling for most of the afternoon. According to police, a car turning left was struck by a vehicle traveling straight through the junction, and a third car was unable to stop in time behind them.
Minor injuries, long delays
Paramedics treated all three drivers at the scene. Two were taken to Riverton General Hospital for checks, and the hospital said later that both were in stable condition. A passenger in the third car was unhurt.
Firefighters secured the vehicles and cleaned up leaking fluids, while officers closed the junction and set up a diversion through the side streets. Buses on four routes were rerouted, and delays spread across the city center until the road reopened just before 8 p.m.
The rain and the evening light made visibility very poor. We are trying to establish whether the traffic lights were green, amber or red for each driver at the moment of impact.
Inspector Marko Lindgren, Riverton traffic police
Police appeal for witnesses
Officers are asking anyone who saw the collision, or who has dashcam footage from the area between 5:50 and 6:15 p.m., to contact the city’s traffic police. Investigators will also review footage from a camera mounted on a nearby building.
No arrests have been made, and police said there was no indication that alcohol was involved. Both main drivers were tested at the scene, which is standard procedure after a collision with injuries.
A known trouble spot
Residents say the junction has long been a problem. Local councillor Ana Petrovic said the city had recorded eleven collisions there in the past year, most of them involving left-turning vehicles.
“We have asked for a separate left-turn signal for two years,” she said. “I hope it doesn’t take something more serious before it is installed.”
The city’s transport department said a redesign of the junction is in the planning budget for next year.
Comments 2
That left turn is a nightmare even in daylight. A separate signal is long overdue.
Was stuck on the 14 bus for an hour. Glad nobody was badly hurt.