The Geyser, The Gridlock and The Red Light Cam

Yes, the accident caused a headache getting into downtown Monday morning but hey there’s a silver lining – it took out one of the red light cameras at 10th and A.

Just before 7 a.m. Monday, two cars collided at a key intersection bringing commuters into downtown, the intersection of 10th and A.

Firefighters rushed to the corner looking for a driver trapped inside. They found two cars including one on its side right in front of the Shell gas station, a geyser easily five to six stories high and a woman still inside one of the cars, scared to get out of her car because of the amount of water raining down on the roof. They suited up, opened the side door and helped the woman out of the car.

She was able to walk to the ambulance with minor injuries, according to Capt. Ed Kinnamon of San Diego Fire Engine Company 1.

The geyser went off for a good 15 minutes, according to Kinnamon, because the city’s water department has a process for shutting down hydrants to avoid other bursts in the line.

The red light camera posted at the corner was a victim in the crash. The force of the collision snapped the camera's pole in half and dropped the white box to the street.

What about the images captured by the red light camera BEFORE the accident? Those drivers are not so lucky. "The system works via the internet so nothing is lost," said an SDPD spokesperson. "The pics are not captured in the camera itself, they are sent via the internet to the vendor."

There was some minor flooding at a construction site down the street, Kinnamon said.

A number of people, including construction workers, snapped photos of the accident.

For many heading into downtown, the closure of 10th and A caused a backup along Highway 163. San Diego police patrol cars closed off the feeder route into downtown and moved incoming traffic onto Ash.

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