Neighbors concerned after frequent crashes at Aurora intersection

A car crash near the intersection of Elmira Street and 11th Avenue in Aurora on Friday destroyed a significant portion of a garden used to feed neighbors and other community members.

The crash is another on a long list, according to neighbors who have witnessed dozens in the area over the past five years.

Isabel Mendoza, who converted her yard into a community garden, lost about 20% of her produce due to the car crash. She says one of her neighbors was turning left onto Elmira Street on Friday afternoon. As the car turned left, another driver from behind entered the oncoming lane of traffic to pass another vehicle and in turn, hit the car in front that was turning left.

"It's just so hard to quantify," Mendoza said.

While her garden includes flowers and produce, much of the damage happened to the majority of the vegetables she was growing –– including tomatoes, beans and peppers. Mendoza planned to donate much of that produce to community members, or to various nonprofits like Project Worthmore the way she has in years past.

"It's too late in the season to plant again. So that's gone until the next year," she said.

Neighbor Marisol Vizcaya learned that her two sons were involved in the crash as they tried to turn left on Elmira. She walked to the intersection to find her truck flipped upside down.

"My first thought was my kids and then the neighbors, because we know, we usually see her sitting right there or sitting right here, fixing her garden, picking her garden," Vizcaya said.

No one suffered serious injuries. Still, Vizcaya said she worries about what could happen in a future crash.