Changes Considered in Ithaca Following Crash

In the wake of the fatal tractor-trailer crash into Simeon’s restaurant on The Commons, the City of Ithaca is looking to do what it can to prevent similar accidents moving forward. More signs, larger signs, pull-offs for trucks, and reinforced barriers are among some of the ideas being considered by both city and state government officials. There is even some consideration for re-routing of larger commercial vehicles through the city. On Friday, a tractor-trailer traveling an estimated 40 miles per hour crashed into the restaurant on The Commons, killing 27-year-old bartender Amanda Bush. The driver of the truck was ticketed for having insufficient brakes. The driver came down Route 79, and police suspect that he intended to continue on to Seneca Street, but missed the turn for Seneca Way, the route most large trucks take, before losing control and crashing into the restaurant. Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick has opened up the possibility of trucks being re-routed from Interstate 81 onto routes not as steep or with longer run-out hills, unless they were headed to local addresses. The police investigation is still underway and is expected to take weeks to complete.