Pinole neighbors fed up with car accidents at intersection

PINOLE, Calif. (KGO) -- There is a dangerous intersection in Pinole that's been plagued with car accidents, including a fatality. It's happening at Tara Hills Drive and Kildare Way, which is near an elementary school. Residents have had enough and they're taking action.

The neighbor at this intersection caught more than just one accident on their home surveillance camera. They said things had calmed down a bit after the city put a flashing warning sign in the area, but then the city took it away and that's when the accidents started back up again, including one on Sunday.

When resident Arleen Reyes' car got hit on Sunday morning, it wasn't the first time. She said, "In the 16 years that I've lived here, I've been hit at least 10 times."

Melissa Barber, who lives across the street on Tara Hills Drive, said reckless drivers totaled all of her cars. She said, "You know, we've had nine accidents just since October."

In October 2013, a car whizzed by a neighbor's security camera after losing control during a police chase. It slammed into Barber's pickup truck killing the passenger.

Three months later, another car slammed into the same truck and two more of Barber's cars.

"So I was like, 'Here we go again. So, OK, I'm going to get the neighbors together and we're going to go down to city council on Tuesday,'" Barber said.

City Councilmember Phil Green said the council has been asking the city manager to do something about it, especially because Shannon Elementary School is near the intersection of Tara Hills Drive and Kildare Way.

"Well, one of these days, someone is going to come down here, doing 40 miles per hour or 50 - because I've seen them come through here at 50 miles an hour -- and somebody one of these days is going to run into one of these kids," Green said.

City Manager Belinda Espinoza did not return our calls. Meanwhile, Barber, who has pleaded with the city council four times before is getting a petition signed and plans to be at Tuesday's city council meeting to speak again.