Left turn confusion in Modesto accident

An accident Saturday afternoon at Merle and Roselle avenues in Modesto was attributed by Modesto police to one of the city’s few remaining “permissive green” lights for left-turning vehicles.

There were minor injuries in the crash just before 1 p.m. in the intersection, said the Modesto Police Department’s Lt. Jason Grogan. One of the vehicles involved was turning west onto Merle from Roselle and collided with a vehicle going south on Roselle. The turning car was doing so on a green yield from the signal light.

Grogan said there are not many of the “permissive green” signals left in Modesto because of too many similar incidents in which drivers misunderstand the green yield signal, which “means you can turn left, but not if cars are coming. Sometimes people get confused.”

This story was originally published December 26, 2015 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Left turn confusion in Modesto accident."