Call to dispatch said blinking lights will 'cause an accident;' eight hours later it did

At left redacted dispatch notes from the day of the fatal crash. right, the intersection where crash occurred; inset, Michael Collins (Rochester Voice graphic; Street shot, Collins/ Courtesy)

ROCHESTER - Documents obtained by The Rochester Voice show that stoplights at the intersection of Portland and South Main streets were blinking around 11 a.m. on Aug. 19, more than eight hours before a fatal motorcycle accident at the intersection took the life of a Rochester man.
The stoplights are normally solid, not blinking, but police dispatch notes indicate that the malfunction was due to an electrical issue.
A couple of minutes after the first call another caller into dispatch said the lights were blinking and it will "cause an accident."

Redacted dispatch notes that show multiple callers concern for safety

Later, around 1:40 p.m. Rochester's DPW advises police dispatch that the lights will remain in flashing mode till the "light company" can come out to fix them, because it is an electrical issue.
Killed in the crash was 54-year-old Michael Collins of Rochester, whose 2010 Harley Davidson FLHTC collided with a 2016 Toyota Corolla being driven by Kimberlee Raymond, 22, of Rochester, around 7:40 p.m., just as dusk was falling.
Rochester Police Capt. Todd Pinkham revealed on Sept. 18 that after a monthlong investigation police had verified what witnesses to the crash had said: that the lights for South Main Street traffic were blinking yellow, while Portland Street was blinking red.
According to police, Collins was traveling on South Main Street headed north toward Central Square, while the Toyota had turned from Charles Street onto Portland Street by the Service Credit Union drive-thru and was headed straight through the light to continue on Portland Street in the direction of Windjammers restaurant.
Pinkham also confirmed that stoplights for South Main Street traffic were blinking yellow, while the Portland Street traffic were blinking red, indicating Collins had the right of way.
Peter Crouch, New Hampshire's supervisor of traffic signals, said last month that there are several reasons why a traffic light that is normally solid green-yellow-red would go to blinking, but noted that Rochester's Department of Public Works maintains the city's downtown traffic signals, not the state of New Hampshire.
Crouch said the problem is usually in one of three places: the traffic control signal box on the lightpole, the traffic signal controllers or the memory malfunction unit, or MMU.
"If there's any kind of problem like all the lights have gone solid green, the system overrides and they go to blinking," he said. "We have one of these problems like every other day."
He said a recent DOT survey revealed that there were about 900 traffic signals in the state, with half owned by the DOT and half owned by municipalities like Rochester, Manchester or Keene.
Crouch said other factors that can lead to a malfunction are corrosion, mice chewing on wires, heat cycles or lightning strikes.
He said the state regularly checks signal boxes to look for signs of mice or other potential hazards.
It is not clear when the "light company" responded to the intersection to fix the problem.
The Rochester Voice earlier reached out to Rochester Public Works Director Peter Nourse by phone and email, but has not heard back from him.

Meanwhile, Pinkham said today the investigation remains open and charges are still possible.