At an intersection controlled by traffic lights, a northbound car wants to make a left turn. The light is green but there is oncoming traffic. The left-turner creeps forward into the intersection to wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic (legal in ohio).
There is so much oncoming traffic that the light eventually turns yellow. The left-turner sees another oncoming car but knows the light will be red before that car reaches the intersection, so he makes his left.
Left-turner claims the light turned red before the oncoming car entered the intersection, but the oncoming car ran the red by 1/4 second, and hits the rear passenger fender of the left turner while the left-turner is in mid-turn.
The oncoming car claims it was still yellow, but independant witnesses confirm the light was red for 1/4 second before the oncoming car passed the stop line.
- Is the left turner guilty of of failure to yield? (Ohio law says the left turner may not make the turn if there is a car "so close to the intersection as to pose an immediate hazard." Although this section doesn't mention red lights, another section prohibits running a red)
- Is the oncoming car guilty of running the red? (duh)
- If your jurisdiction asks you to make a decision on fault, then how would you assign fault.
There is so much oncoming traffic that the light eventually turns yellow. The left-turner sees another oncoming car but knows the light will be red before that car reaches the intersection, so he makes his left.
Left-turner claims the light turned red before the oncoming car entered the intersection, but the oncoming car ran the red by 1/4 second, and hits the rear passenger fender of the left turner while the left-turner is in mid-turn.
The oncoming car claims it was still yellow, but independant witnesses confirm the light was red for 1/4 second before the oncoming car passed the stop line.
- Is the left turner guilty of of failure to yield? (Ohio law says the left turner may not make the turn if there is a car "so close to the intersection as to pose an immediate hazard." Although this section doesn't mention red lights, another section prohibits running a red)
- Is the oncoming car guilty of running the red? (duh)
- If your jurisdiction asks you to make a decision on fault, then how would you assign fault.
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