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N. Idaho ITD crew excels in aftermath of traffic-control cabinet demolition

ITD’s northern Idaho crews were at their finest in the aftermath of a high-speed chase Feb. 7 in the Coeur d’Alene area (Northwest Blvd. and Ironwood Dr.) that demolished a signal box.
 
The driver in the Sunday-morning chase lost control of his 1998 Dodge 1500, and not only hit but ripped from it’s foundations and completely demolished an ITD traffic cabinet (pictured below, right).  The force of the impact also ripped the driver’s side rear tire completely off the truck, disabling it and allowing authorities to make an arrest.

The district’s Traffic Section, consisting of electrician Rick Roukema, Signal Foreman Roy Clark, and Traffic Engineer Ryan Hawkins (pictured above, left to right), was on the job in a matter of minutes. They had the lights in flash mode by 3:30 p.m., and by 6:30 p.m. the intersection was fully functional and the area had been cleaned of debris.

“The coordination of this team’s work was phenomenal,” said District Business Operations Manager Scotty Fellom. “They are true experts in their fields, which enabled them to get this done so quickly.”

Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the chase and demolition.

Published 03-04-16