Invoice shows work done on malfunctioning stoplight on day of fatal crash

At left an invoice dated Aug. 19, 2023 for work done on the stoplight at the intersection of South Main and Portland streets; inset, Michael Collins (Courtesy)

ROCHESTER - An invoice from the company that maintains Rochester's downtown traffic lights indicates that work was done on a malfunctioning stoplight at the corner of South Main and Portland streets on Aug. 19, the same day that a Rochester motorcyclist was killed at the intersection.
The invoice was obtained by The Rochester Voice following a Right to Know request filed with the City of Rochester last month.
The service date on the invoice is accurate, according to a technician who told The Voice earlier this month that they worked on the light on Aug. 19 and that it was fixed "before dusk," which occurred that evening around 8:11 p.m., according to sunrise-sunset.org
The technician, who did not want his name published because he is not an official spokesperson for Electric Light Company Inc., of Cape Neddick, Maine, said he got the call about the light blinking instead of running solid in the afternoon and "fixed it the same day."
Michael Collins, 54, of Rochester, died when his 2010 Harley Davidson FLHTC collided with a 2016 Toyota Corolla being driven by Kimberlee Raymond, 22, of Rochester, around 7:40 p.m,
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.
The City of Rochester including Rochester Police say the can have no comment since a criminal investigation into the crash remains open. Police have also refused to comment on why the investigation drags on after nearly five months.
The Rochester Voice also asked for documents regarding the contract between the City of Rochester and Electric Light Co. Inc. but O'Rourke said there is none, because the city's Request for Proposal serves as the de facto contract.
O'Rourke also has confirmed that there were no emails regarding the malfunctioning light between DPW staff, City Manager Katie Ambrose and any other City of Rochester personnel.
Documents earlier obtained by The Rochester Voice show that the stoplights at the intersection of Portland and South Main streets were reported blinking around 11 a.m. on Aug. 19, more than eight hours before the fatal crash.
A couple of minutes after the first call another caller into dispatch said the lights were blinking and it will "cause an accident."
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.
The stoplights are normally solid, not blinking; police dispatch notes indicate that the malfunction was due to an electrical issue.
The state DOT maintains most traffic lights throughout New Hampshire but several cities, including Rochester, manage their own downtown stoplights, a DOT official said.
Collins, a graduate of Portsmouth High. leaves behind a son and three grandchildren.