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Collision flips car on downtown street By SARAH LEMON A two-car accident at the intersection of Central Avenue and Fourth Street Wednesday sent a Medford woman to the hospital and held up downtown Medford traffic for about 45 minutes. Rebecca Carstens, 49, of Medford, suffered minor injuries when her Oldsmobile Achieva was flipped over onto its roof. She was taken to Providence Medford Medical Center for treatment. Martin Noland, 37, of Central Point, was cited by Medford police after he reportedly ran a red light and broadsided Carstens' car around 6:15 p.m. Noland was cited for failure to obey a traffic control signal. The citation carries a $235 fine. Noland's Honda Accord was traveling south on Central when his car hit the passenger side of Carstens' vehicle, flipping it into the air, police said. Carstens' car landed in the oncoming traffic lane of Fourth Street. Carstens had been traveling west on Fourth and advancing through the intersection on a green light. Police said there was no evidence Noland was speeding. The front end of his vehicle struck Carstens' car at the exact angle to flip it over, police said. Carstens had some minor cuts and scrapes and spoke to rescue crews when they arrived, said Medford firefighter Justin Bates. After rescue workers unbuckled her seat belt, she was able to crawl out of the driver's side window, Bates said. Both front side windows were shattered, the windshield was buckled and the passenger's side door was caved-in. Police coned off sections of Fourth Street on both sides of the intersection while rescue and towing crews worked. Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists paused to view the inverted teal car surrounded by broken glass. At the corner Texaco station, attendant Art Bigelow said many motorists misjudge the traffic light. In Bigelow's 51/2 years at the Texaco station, he said, he has seen more accidents at the Central and Fourth intersection than he can count on his fingers. Usually, motorists who cause an accident aren't looking at the traffic light, he said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.