Even public officials can get distracted. So learned Borough mayor Marvin Reed as his car collided with an SUV on April 6th and skidded over a curb and into a traffic light.
The cause of the accident? The mayor had run a red light at the intersection of Wiggins and Witherspoon Streets. The driver of the second vehicle, Dr. Kenneth Ung of Ewing, was headed southbound on Witherspoon and struck the driver's side of Reed's car, sending Reed's vehicle into a traffic light.
Reed said he felt that his distraction was in part due to construction near the intersection. "Had there not been all that plastic on the fence nearby, I might have been more aware of other cars, of who had the light, who didn't," he said.
For anyone, a traffic accident can be a frightening thing. "It always is scary," said Reed in a recent phone interview. "Luckily I was wearing my seatbelt . . . Otherwise you and I might not be talking today."
After colliding with the traffic light, Reed's car continued on for another 100 yards before it stopped near an approaching police car. Police captain Anthony Federico confirmed that there were no suspicions that Reed was attempting to leave the scene.
Reed recalled his reaction to the initial impact. "It was an SUV that hit me, and knocked me into a traffic light pole. I hit that but my car kept going," he said.
"I had to figure out how to stop it, and then pull it over. I figured out that my foot wasn't where it should be — so I moved it to the brake. It was a good thing that my airbag didn't inflate, or I really might not have been able to gain control."
Fortunately, neither driver was seriously injured — both were admitted to the Princeton Medical Center and discharged within hours. Reed said his ribs are still tender.
Mayor Reed said that he got a ticket and will be going to court, where he plans to plead guilty to the traffic violation. "And I'll get points," he said, "just like anyone else."
Federico downplayed the significance of the mayor's crash. "It was just a traffic accident," he said. "That's it."
Still somewhat taken aback by the collision, Reed did offer a word of advice to student drivers: "Drive slowly, keep seatbelt on, and stay alert," he said, "Particularly when there's construction in the area."
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