10/02/1996ACCIDENT REVIEW BOARD
CITY OF CLEARWATER
October 15, 1996
PRESENT: Kathy Faye Chetoka Chair
Howard Huff Board Member
Lt. Bob Repp Board Member
Chris Cruickshank Board Member
Tracey Bruch Board Member (arrived 8:30 a.m.)
Sharon Walton Risk Management
Paul Gray Fleet Maintenance
Alvin Washington Solid Waste
Frank Daly Police
Brenda Moses Board Reporter
Absent: Lester Pulfer Board Member
The meeting was called to order at 8:03 a.m. by Chair Faye Chetoka in the General Services Conference Room, 1900 Grand Avenue, Clearwater, Florida. A quorum was present. Member Huff
moved to approved the minutes of July 23, 1996 and September 17, 1996. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
ACCIDENT NO./
NAME
DATE
COMMITTEE
ACTION
DISCUSSION
No. 855
Shawn D. Meeks
Police
08/15/96
Postponed
Officer Meeks made a traffic stop on State Road 590. After the stop the vehicle fled the scene, and Officer Meeks began pursuit. He turned off the lights and sirens when the vehicle
would not stop. Officer Meeks noted as he came out of a dip in the road traveling 45 to 55 mph, a police cruiser was blocking westbound traffic. The other officer had said he was planning
to shine his headlights into the suspect’s vehicle as it approached. Officer Meeks pressed the brakes, and swerved to avoid hitting the other cruiser. He hit a telephone pole and his
vehicle flipped upside down. Officer Meeks stated he felt the other cruiser was a contributing factor to the accident.
Lt. Repp moved to postpone determination on the accident and requested the investigating officer and the assisting officer attend the next hearing to give testimony. The motion was
duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 915
Philip Jackson, Jr.
Police
09/13/96
Non-chargeable
Officer Jackson arrived before his shift and noticed his assigned vehicle was blocked in on both sides by cruisers. No one was available to help him maneuver the vehicle out of the
parking space. The vehicles were parked extremely close together due to the lack of sufficient parking. As he attempted to move it, he struck the front right bumper of a cruiser, causing
damage to the left rear passenger door of his vehicle.
Member Huff moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried 2 to 1. Member Cruickshank voted “nay”.
No. 915
Philip Jackson, Jr.
Police
09/13/96
Non-chargeable
Officer Jackson arrived before his shift and noticed his assigned vehicle was blocked in on both sides by cruisers. No one was available to help him maneuver the vehicle out of the
parking space. The vehicles were parked extremely close together due to the lack of sufficient parking. As he attempted to move it, he struck the front right bumper of a cruiser, causing
damage to the left rear passenger door of his vehicle.
Member Huff moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried 2 to 1. Member Cruickshank voted “nay”.
No. 862
Lawrence R. Browett
Fire
08/26/96
Non-chargeable
Mr. Browett was answering a call on the radio from his rescue vehicle while exiting a hospital driveway. His lights were on and as he cleared a post, his vehicle struck the door and
quarter panel of a small sports car which had passed the rescue truck. Due to the height of the rescue truck and the height of the sports car, the accident was unavoidable.
Lt. Repp moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 903
Glenn Witko
Fire
09/23/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Witco and his partner had dropped off a patient. Mr. Witco’s partner was in the ambulance with the patient, and his vehicle was parked nose to nose with the ambulance. There is
only one way to enter the facility, therefore Mr. Witco proceeded to check his mirrors for clear passage and backed up to exit the driveway. A car was parked very close to the entrance
of the hospital driveway on the street and out of Mr. Witco’s vision. As Mr. Witco proceeded to back out onto the street, he struck the parked car. The bumper and decorative molding
on the other vehicle was damaged. No damage was sustained to the rescue vehicle.
Mr. Cruickshank moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 771
James Cooper
Solid Waste
07/02/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Cooper was in a parking lot with an empty load. His back up man instructed him it was clear to drive under an aluminum roof. Upon backing up, and avoiding a parked car, the vehicle
may have scraped the aluminum roof. This was not Mr. Cooper’s usual route and he relied upon the back up man for direction. The back up man stated he was watching the distance to the
parked car and it appeared the truck could clear the roof. Previously, when the vehicle has had a full load, it has cleared the roof. Apparently the truck sits higher when empty, and
the vehicle could not clear the roof under such circumstances. It was noted the manager of the facility said he thought there may have been prior damage to the aluminum roof.
Lt. Repp moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried 3 to 1. Mr. Cruickshank voted “nay”.
.
No. 844
John Cole
Solid Waste
08/13/96
Chargeable
Mr. Cole was delivering blue recycling barrels in a step van. His van struck the overhang on a carport. He did not have back up assistance. This was Mr. Cole’s first stop at this
particular location.
Mr. Huff moved the accident be considered chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Points: 2, 2, 1, 1 Average: 1.5
Damage Estimates: $0 - $499 Priors: None
Mr. Cruickshank made a motion for a defensive driving course and documented counseling. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 863
Carmine Tripi
Solid Waste
08/22/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Tripi was sent on a new, unfamiliar route. He inadvertently turned onto a dead end street. He got out of the recycling vehicle to be sure no traffic was approaching. He got back
into his vehicle, making sure the flashers, warning lights and reverse beepers were on. While backing out, an approaching vehicle turned onto the street and collided with Mr. Tripi’s
vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle said he saw the reverse lights, but did not see any approaching traffic from the road he was on, therefore he turned onto the road where Mr.
Tripi was backing up.
Mr. Cruickshank moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. He also moved to recommend the Accident Review Board request Solid
Waste Department supervisors provide employees with pertinent details regarding their routes. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 907
David Dornbusch
Solid Waste
09/23/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Dornbusch was stopped on a narrow divided street. He backed up 4 feet after unloading a dumpster and struck a taxi cab. The taxi driver was too close to the back of Mr. Dornbusch’s
truck and was not visible in his mirrors. It was noted the truck has a five foot sign which reads “stay back 30 feet”. The flashing lights were operational. The taxi driver said he
had to pick someone up, but Mr. Dornbusch saw no one.
Lt. Repp moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 909
John Murray
Solid Waste
09/26/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Murray had serviced a recycling bin. As he proceeded to drive forward at 5 mph, he felt a bump on the left front tire. He had not seen anything in the mirror. Mr. Murray said
there are large black barrels on one side of the road and the other vehicle must have swerved in front of his vehicle in order to avoid hitting the barrels.
Lt. Repp moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 909
John Murray
Solid Waste
09/26/96
Non-Chargeable
Mr. Murray had serviced a recycling bin. As he proceeded to drive forward at 5 mph, he felt a bump on the left front tire. He had not seen anything in the mirror. Mr. Murray said
there are large black barrels on one side of the road and the other vehicle must have swerved in front of his vehicle in order to avoid hitting the barrels.
Lt. Repp moved the accident be considered non-chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
No. 908
Charles E. McAbee
Public Works
09/26/96
Chargeable
Mr. McAbee was not present. Members reviewed the accident report. Mr. McAbee was stopped at a red light. As traffic proceeded, a vehicle in front of him stopped before making a turn
and Mr. McAbee struck the vehicle in the rear.
Mr. Cruickshank moved the accident be considered chargeable. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Points: 4, 4, 4, 4 Average: 4.0
Damages: $500 - $1,999 Priors: None
Mr. Cruickshank moved to recommend documented counseling and a defensive driving course. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Chair, Accident Review Board
Attest:
_________________________________________
Board Reporter