Ka-bang! Accident in the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Charlesgate West
The intersection of eastbound Commonwealth Avenue and Charlesgate West has been the scene of many auto accidents over the years. What usually happens is that an eastbound vehicle on Commonwealth Avenue doesn’t see the traffic lights, or focuses on the Charlesgate East traffic lights, and boldly runs the red light just as the southbound traffic on Charlesgate West pulls into the intersection. Apart from outright accidents, there have been an enormous number of close calls that I have witnessed myself and one is wise to wait two seconds after the lights turn green before one heads into the intersection from Charlesgate West. Things have been noticeably better the last 18 months or so. Perhaps the city’s traffic engineers changed the cycle at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Kenmore Street, or perhaps it’s because the neverending Kenmore Square T-station construction project has changed the traffic flow. Either way, we’ve seen a real drop in the rate of redlight running at Charlesgate West.
But it still happens, and this morning it resulted in a quite loud collision between a car and an SUV. Fortunately, I don’t think anybody was hurt. At least the ambulance that responded left at a leisurely pace without the lights on.
One funny thing: Just as I had finished taking pictures and was about to head back to Kenmore Square a car barreling down Commonwealth Avenue ran the red light, right in front of cops and staties. So, yeah, the problem still exists.
Engine 33 (in the background) races to the scene.
Cops on the scene.
An overview of the situation. The ladder truck is presumably Ladder 15.
A state trooper. Commonwealth Avenue is part of a state highway and thus his turf.
