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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, December 11, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 27, 2002 Car strikes man crossing dark street By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A stretch of Table Rock Road was closed for more than an hour Tuesday evening while police investigated an accident they feared could prove fatal. A car hit a pedestrian, Abraham Daniel Chapman, 23, of Eagle Point, Tuesday about 5:15 p.m. and sent him to Rogue Valley Medical Center in critical condition. Chapman suffered broken legs and other injuries, but escaped a serious head injury, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. Chapman was conscious and able to talk with detectives investigating the accident, Moran said. Police blame the accident on darkness and haven’t issued any citations or other charges. Streetlights are several blocks apart on the road and no lights are near the accident site. Moran said Chapman was walking along the 2700 block of Table Rock Road with another man, a woman and a girl. The group apparently planned to cross Table Rock Road at its intersection with Midway Road. While the others waited, Chapman rushed to cross from east to west, Moran said. It wasn’t clear whether Chapman was in a crosswalk, Moran said. A 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Troy David Guches, 31, of Central Point, struck Chapman, Moran said. Chapman flipped into the air and landed at the top of the car’s windshield, shattering the glass and denting the roof, before he hit the ground. While Chapman was taken to the hospital by Mercy Flights ambulance, his sneakers remained on the asphalt, where he had been lifted out of them by the force of the collision. They were surrounded by broken glass. A Medford Public Works incident response team, police cruisers, crime-scene tape and flares blocked Table Rock Road while investigators worked. Medford police’s fatal-accident investigation unit and a traffic team took measurements at the scene of the accident and interviewed the victim and witnesses. Neighbors gathered in the darkness and congregated at a nearby convenience store, wondering at the details of the crash. Many of them noted that drivers on Table Rock Road routinely exceed the 35 mph speed limit. "Cars reach 60 even with the 35 mph limit," said Dominic Haag, who lives on Midway Road. He was on his way home when he came upon the accident, he said. He said his wife has complained to police about speeding on Table Rock Road. He and his wife are concerned about the safety of their son, who must cross the busy road when he gets off the bus from McLoughlin Middle School, and the safety of other kids in the neighborhood. Another Midway Road resident who declined to give his name said he and his wife had requested a light be installed at the intersection where the accident happened, but were told the city had no funds for that. Moran said investigators found Guches was driving at about the posted speed limit, so excessive speed doesn’t seem to be a factor in the crash. Police will review details of their investigation today before making a final decision about citations, he said. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S