Friday morning, an Overland Park public works crew repairs a traffic light at 87th Street and Metcalf Avenue. Photo credit Mike Frizzell.
Overland Park Police say a garbage truck damaged several stoplights along Metcalf Avenue Friday morning.
Police were called to the intersection of 87th Street and Metcalf just after 6:30 a.m. to report that part of the traffic light was off and in the street.
Radio traffic from the arriving officer states that the signal lamp was left dangling by its wires.
Worn out. John Lacy, an Overland Park police spokesman, says officers determined a garbage truck carrying a dumpster north of Metcalf caused the damage.
“The operator forgot to lower the dumpster after emptying it, thus knocking out several traffic lights along Metcalf northbound from 87th to 81st,” Lacy said. “Overland Park Public Works is working to repair the significant damage.”
By 11 a.m. Friday, city public works crews could be seen working the signals at 87th Street.
Damage was also visible at the HAWK crosswalk sign at 81st & Metcalf and the traffic light at 80th & Metcalf.
Lacy said it is unknown whether the driver of the garbage truck stopped after causing the damage, but that the operator had not reported the damage to police by early Friday afternoon.
According to Lacy, police have contacted the company that owns the garbage truck involved in Friday’s crash.
Mike Frizzell is a freelance fire and crime reporter who runs Operation 100 News.
