A traffic accident resulted in the shearing of a fire hydrant at Sunset and El Medio.
Photo: Deann Wilken
Wyoming Versus Pacific Palisades
Wyoming has Yellowstone Park and Old Faithful. Tourists come from all over the world to watch the water eruption. Traffic is miserable getting around Yellowstone just to observe the famous geyser.
By contrast, by simply mixing a dump truck, a Land Rover and fire hydrant, a spectacular geyser, “Old Faithful, Too,” happened at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and El Medio this afternoon.
Traffic was miserable getting around Pacific Palisades, and unlike Yellowstone, spectators tried to avoid the Palisades geyser. Since there are only three roads in and out of Pacific Palisades: Sunset Boulevard, Temescal Canyon Road and Chautauqua, any disruption can result in gridlock.
On the positive side, enough water shot out of the hydrant to clean Sunset Boulevard. The City doesn’t clean any streets in Pacific Palisades, because we hardly pay any taxes compared to the rest of Los Angeles. (Which is why the Recreation Center does not have handicapped-accessible restrooms or a handicapped accessible playground and the majority of our streets need to be fixed. Or maybe we pay more taxes and get less services? It can all be so confusing.)
The other positive aspect is, enough water ran down the gardens by the Lutheran Church, to create a large river. This saved many of us a trip to the Amazon or the Nile.
The water from the hydrant created a river in the Lutheran Church yard.
Photo: Heather Wilken
Correction: Glib coverage of a very very dangerous event. A reckless dump truck driver attempted an out of control and high speed turn on to El Medio, avoiding head on collision by a hair. Threatened the life of a family in the SUV and flooded a church only to pick up some dirt. Encourage you to do a bit of journalism before characterizing this scary crash as a springtime frolick.
Thanks for finding the humor in this!
To whom do you give your parade theme?
Great job Sue!
So that’s what caused the big traffic snarl yesterday afternoon.
Thank you for your great reporting!
I’m sorry, I did not mean for the accident to sound glib. The story was really about the hydrant causing traffic issues. I did not have enough information to report on the accident, the cause or who was at fault.
In covering accidents, one first has to have the number given the accident to contact LAPD’s West Traffic, and until the accident is investigated and a cause listed, they will release nothing to the press. If there are no injuries, often there is no investigation, other than what the insurance companies provide. Additionally, LAFD who are often at accidents are not allowed to comment on accidents either for legal reasons.
If the family were to say that a “reckless dump truck driver made a high speed turn,” I would not be allowed to print that in a story without verification from officials, because the driver could say, “I was not speeding, the turn was not reckless. And furthermore, the car appeared out of nowhere.”
Visit: Palisades4th.com/parade/theme. Go to the theme button and submit by noon on Saturday, April 6, or email themes to parade@palisades4th.com.
Good luck!!