Intersection needs attention

Editor, OBSERVER:

I would like to thank the National Grid linesman for outstanding service after an incident at my residence. On Nov. 10, the day of our first snowfall, a vehicle slid through the Bard Road intersection in front of my house and struck the electric pole with such force the transformer was knocked off the pole. It took less than two hours for them to have a new transformer installed and my power back on.

On Nov. 29, 2024, a vehicle struck the same pole breaking the pole that also took out the power and fiber optic lines resulting in no internet or phone service for many of my neighbors for four days. After that incident there were six more that winter that required police or towing services. I have lived here for 20 years and there have been four vehicles that went through my yard and went upside down into Canadaway Creek that goes through my back yard with one being a state park police car in 2012.

Every winter there are five to 10 accidents at this location and it has been a miracle that no cross traffic has been hit by people being unable to stop because of road conditions. So as much as I would like to thank the National Grid linesman the same cannot be said of the Chautauqua County Highway Department.

They have direct knowledge of how bad this intersection has been and choose to do nothing about it. I feel it’s time to hold the county directly responsible for all incidents that occur at this location, including reimbursing National Grid for expenses and peoples private vehicles damaged due to unsafe road conditions and it is only a matter of time before there will be an incident with injuries or death and as this is a dead zone for cellphones I seem to be the first responder on scene.

CHARLES McDERMOTT,

Cassadaga