Car crasher destroys mailbox and signage in Carlsbad

A young male driver uprooted two stop signs, a street sign, and a large collection mailbox before he crashed into a block wall of a neighborhood sign at the Mariners Point housing development in Carlsbad at about 6 p.m. on April 14.

A female passenger in a GMC SUV was taken from the scene by ambulance, but according to police, only minor injuries were reported and the cause of the wreck is under investigation.

The intersection of Camino de las Ondas and Briarwood Drive  is in an upscale, ocean-view residential area, and several residents agree that too many drivers speed on Camino de las Ondas, which intersects with the well-traveled Poinsettia Lane.  

“There’s a school a block away and people go through this intersection at 50 to 60 miles per hour,” said Ken Clarence, president of the Mariners Point homeowners’ association.

The morning after the crash, Clarence and two other residents  were observing damages to the brick sign that's situated in a landscaped corner of grass. Large cracks in the masonry, broken light fixtures, several mangled brass letters, and torn grass were some of the obvious damages.

A landscape contractor said that after the crash a large mailbox ended up on the other side of the street. According to the city, a street sign was also damaged.

The residents each agreed that a crash had happened at the intersection about six months ago.

“This is the second time this has happened,” Clarence said.  He said that, on behalf of the homeowners’ association, he intends to make a formal request to the city for speed bumps to be installed on the street.