Omaha makes changes to traffic signals a week after deadly crash at intersection

OMAHA, Neb. —

Within days of a fatal crash involving two children, the city of Omaha said it responded with action.

There are now some traffic light changes at that intersection at 114th and West Center Road.

The left-turn traffic signals going east and westbound on Center used to be flashing yellow lights, but Omaha Public Works changed them to green lights after a study on the intersection revealed some trends.

“In about four or five days, we actually made that change to make it a safer intersection,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said in a news conference Friday.

READ MORE: Omaha police identify 10-year-old, 5-year-old killed in crash involving suspected drunk driver

“I’ve definitely experienced some scary moments where I almost was hit, turning left onto 114^th,” Shelby Benson, a resident in the area of the intersection, said. “So, I don’t really risk it with the yellow light anymore.”

Benson and Ulises Tapia have lived in the area for around two years and view this change as a good thing.

“That left-hand turn on a flashing yellow is pretty risky sometimes,” Tapia said. “I think keeping it just green or red is probably the right move here.”

The city’s decision follows the deadly crash last Thursday where a car was hit while making a left turn on center headed south on 114th.

According to officials, the driver, who hit the car with the two children inside, was going 98 mph, had a blood alcohol level of .095, and has a current case pending since April for a different DUI charge.

Those two children, ages 5 and 10, died.

“I don’t think it would have mattered so much if the light was green or red,” Tapia said. “I think he would have ran a red just as well. But it definitely helps for all the other accidents that happen here when people take a risky left-hand turn on that flashing yellow.”

Previous coverage: Omaha man accused of DUI in crash that killed 10-year-old, 5-year-old faces upgraded charges

Omaha City Traffic Engineer Jeff Riesselman said they made the change fairly quickly.

“We’re able to put that new timing plan into our controllers much quicker,” Riesselman said. “So, we were able to implement it in a matter of a couple hours yesterday afternoon.”

Riesselman added they’re also evaluating other intersections of concern, too.

“East of 72^nd, that seems to be where the majority of the injury crashes are occurring,” he said.

Risselman said city public works will continue to monitor these green lights to make sure the timing and everything else is functioning properly.

The mayor said a handful of emails from Omaha residents prompted the change in the first place.

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