CINCINNATI — There’s anger, frustration and fear in Westwood.
On Friday, an 85-year-old died after Cincinnati police said a teenager driving a 2016 Ford Focus disregarded a red light at the intersection of Boudinot Avenue and Queen City Avenue, crashing into a 2016 Toyota Camry.
After the initial crash, the Toyota then hit the entrance of the Ahadu International Market. The whole incident was caught on camera.
It was scary for Tihitina Urgssa, who works at the hair salon next door. She drives through the intersection everyday. She said it makes her nervous every time.
“I was shaking all day. It was so sad,” Urgssa said. “I was thinking, ‘what if I were the one?’”
“They’re speeding and they can’t control it … when [the driver] sees the red light,” she said.
WCPO 9 reviewed Cincinnati police crash data since 2015 for the Boudinot Avenue, which runs 2.5 miles long.
From 2015-2023, police recorded an average of 139 crashes per year. In 2024, there have been 107 so far. Four were recorded on Friday, Sept. 27.
“I’m scared because it’s crazy,” said Jose Trejo, who owns a taco truck at the Queen City Avenue and Boudinot Avenue intersection.
In the last three months, he said he has seen 10 crashes from his vantage point alone.
“The people here look at the red light and push the gas,” he said.
That’s an experience pedestrian Matthew Jackson has too. The data on the number of crashes didn’t surprise him. He said he always does a double-take before crossing the street.
Drivers “wouldn't care if you're walking and have the right-of-way, and they'll sometimes almost hit you, unfortunately,” Jackson said.
The intersection does have centerline hardening posts on the east side of Queen City Avenue. The south side of Boudinot Avenue also has a centerline hardening bump. Jackson said he’d like to see more traffic-calming measures, whether it’s a speed display, speed cushion or just more police patrols.
The ultimate solution, Urgssa said, will be up to the drivers themselves.
"We have to watch not only ourselves, [but] we have to watch somebody driving besides us too," she said. “We have to control our speed to save lives.”
Cincinnati police said they are investigating whether excessive speed was a contributing factor in Friday’s crash. When asked whether any charges had been filed, the traffic unit told WCPO 9 on Monday that the crash was still under investigation.
