'Tattletale' lights aid troopers in Burbank

BURBANK A tiny blue light on the back of a traffic signal will give troopers the green light to ticket red-light runners.

The new "tattletale" lights were installed last week on Highway 12 at the intersections of Highway 124 and Humorist Road in Burbank.

"Signal ahead" warning signs also were posted by the state Department of Transportation in response to community concerns about the problems at the intersections, said Washington State Patrol Lt. Jay Cabezuela.

Burbank residents long have complained that it's dangerous to try to cross the highway at those two intersections because of vehicles -- often semi-trucks -- running the lights.

The "tattletale" lights will make it easier for troopers to enforce traffic laws for failing to stop at red lights and failing to yield the right of way, he said.

"As soon as the light turns red, the blue light comes on," Cabezuela explained Thursday as he stood on the shoulder of Highway 12 just east of Humorist Road. "... The idea is that we can sit here in an unmarked car, look at the blue light and if they run (the red light) we can just step out and pull them over."

Without the tattletale lights, troopers would have to sit on the other side of the intersection so they could see the red light. If a driver ran the light, they would have to run the light as well to catch the violator.

It's a $124 ticket for running the light.

Troopers conducted a special emphasis patrol at the intersections Thursday and it didn't take long for Sgt. Zach Elmore to spot a semi-truck run through the intersection at Highway 124 after the light turned red.

Elmore was on the opposite side of the highway and saw the light in his direction was red, but the driver was adamant it was yellow when she went through.

Elmore said he couldn't prove the light was red so she got off with a strict warning, which included a reminder that she should slow down when the light turns yellow.

"She had plenty of time to stop," he said.

Troopers will patrol the intersection when they're available to determine the problem times, Cabezuela said. The early morning or afternoon commutes will likely produce the most violators, he said.

"Drivers better be careful coming through here," Cabezuela said. "It's not going to be cheap."

The last serious incident in the area was the Oct. 31 crash that left two Burbank brothers dead.

Jorge Daniel Mendez, 17, and Jesus Jaime "JJ" Mendez, 19, were killed when the car they were in was hit by a semi-truck.

The teens were in a car turning onto Humorist Road, while the semi was driving east on Highway 12. There is a traffic signal with a turn arrow at the intersection, but no conclusion has been made about who had the right of way.

The Washington State Patrol's Major Accident Investigation Team has been out taking measurements and pictures of the intersection, but no cause has been determined yet, said Detective Sgt. Jerry Cooper.

Interviews with witnesses and the drivers of both vehicles are completed, but investigators need to do more testing at the intersection to help reconstruct the crash.

"This one's a difficult one ..." Cooper said. "The big thing about it is we're very meticulous on it. The bad thing is it takes a while."

It'll likely be another couple of months before the investigation's complete, he said.

Nearly two weeks ago, troopers investigated a DUI crash at the same intersection, Lt. Cabezuela said. The driver, with a suspected blood alcohol level of 0.20 percent, ran a red light and hit someone, he said. No one was seriously hurt in the 6 a.m. crash.

The state Department of Transportation is working on a permanent fix to eliminate the hazards of crossing the highway at both intersections, but it'll be a couple of years before the project is done.

An interchange is being planned at the Highway 124 intersection, and a bridge will be built for Humorist Road to cross over Highway 12. The intersections are about a mile apart.

The design for the project is about 70 percent complete, and DOT officials are expected to put it out for bid this winter, said Corey Hert, assistant traffic engineer. Construction should begin next year.

In the meantime, authorities hope the new warning signs and tattletale lights will help make a difference.

The lights, the first of their kind in the area, cost about $150 each and the total installation was about $1,500, Hert said. The four signs cost about $2,000 for installation and materials.

"This is just a test case for us to see how the state patrol likes them," Hert said. "Enforcement plays a big part in red-light running. These tattletale lights will assist the state patrol in enforcement."