Swap meets still allow vehicle traffic inside By VICTOR MORALES, Staff Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:18 PM PST
VICTOR MORALES PHOTO
Shoppers and motorists mingle at the Santo Tomas Swap Meet on Saturday.
CALEXICO The October swap meet accident that occurred here left one woman dead, seven people injured and a pending manslaughter charge but has resulted in little change in the policy that allowed the tragedy.
Operators for the Las Palmas Swap Meet, where 21-year-old Ulices Guevara, a security guard at the swap meet, allegedly plowed into a group of shoppers, killing 58-year-old Estella Aguilar Jaramillo last month, still permits its employees and vendors to drive inside the swap meet.
At the nearby and more crowded Santo Tomas Swap Meet, customers steer their cars throughout its aisles, creating a precarious car and pedestrian shuffle.
Both swap meets have catered to Calexico’s Mexicali clientele for more than 30 years. The October tragedy, it seemed, had served as a reality check of conditions shaped by an enormous Mexican majority accustomed to living with fewer regulations.
It did not take long for the Calexico Police Department to seek a manslaughter charge against Guevara following the death of Jaramillo.
That request is pending at the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office.
Whatever warning the tragedy served, it’s been mostly overlooked on the cusp of the busiest shopping season of the year.
Las Palmas operators have responded moderately by prohibiting vendors from entering the aisles during the busiest time of day, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., one hour longer than prior to the accident, said Brenda Martinez, a manager at Las Palmas.
Shoppers must also wait until that time to drive in and pick up bulky items.
But employees are still allowed to park inside the swap meet and drive out when going home or to lunch, Martinez said.
That’s exactly what Guevara was doing when he allegedly suffered a seizure and drove his Ford Escort into shoppers.
“That policy has not changed but not very many do it,” Martinez said.
Calexico police have requested and intend to follow up on modifications to that policy, said Lt. Jim Neujahr.
“We have been talking to them since the incident and letting them know it’s a big deal and to do something about it,” Neujahr said.
But there has been no ultimatum given. Neujahr acknowledged there are few city codes that could be enforced at the privately owned property.
Both swap meets are privately owned and not subject to the entire city code.
The Santo Tomas Swap Meet has escaped scrutiny thus far, where Saturday morning customers’ vehicles congested its aisles, channeling pedestrians, some with strollers, in front and between cars.
Neujahr said police have “not been dealing” with Santo Tomas as a result of the tragedy.
There are no speed limits posted and no traffic management measures visible at Santo Tomas other than posted and roving security guards.
The lack of parking around Santo Tomas may be part of the problem as many customers prefer to drive in and shop.
“There is no other remedy than to park inside unless you want to walk from all the way back there” said one shopper who parked a pickup inside the swap meet Saturday.
Parking in general at Santo Tomas has concerned officials.
In June Calexico Police Chief Mario Sanchez suggested the swap meet be reduced to accommodate more parking after a member of the Police Advisory Commission complained during a meeting.
Santo Tomas management did not respond to several requests for comment.
Calexico Mayor John Renison said Saturday he was confident city ordinances such as business licensing and parking codes would apply to the swap meets and could persuade them to change any unsafe policy.
“We will talk to them and we will see about it. That certainly is within the purview of the city,” Renison said.
" I'm not angry at anybody I just don't know why people want to make a law against something like vehicles in a parking lot because of one unfortunate incident which wasn't done purposefully. "
pinay wrote on Dec 1, 2007 12:07 AM:
" Again just like anirak81 said doctors swear up and down its still safe to drive no matter how many times you try to tell them what kind of an affect it has on you and if you have bills with no other income im sorry but i dont think you can carry any of your tools on a bicycle let alone ladders, sawsall,etc. Ya he shouldnt even be operating those machinery which is why he was asking for disability and didnt go to work until he finally quit the meds and said to hell with the psych who didnt want to help in the first place. i think really your questions, anger and complaints should really be directed towards the psychs who are allowing all of this to go on. more than anyone knows. "
Gymjunkie wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:28 AM:
" Pinay-Reread what you wrote and tell me he should have been driving anything more powerful than a bycycle. "
pinay wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:20 AM:
" by the way do they take licenses away from people diagnosed with diabetes,clogged arteries or on their birthday of turning senior citizen since at any given time they will end up having a heart attack while driving?If so,then ill keep a note of that when someone plows into me or any members of my family.the next suspect just might be one of your family members think of how you would want that case to be treated. Maybe they might be calling family member an idiot too. "
pinay wrote on Nov 30, 2007 7:59 AM:
" obviously gymjunkie you do not know how the mental health psychs work. I know of someone who was being treated for a disorder that affects millions americans and he couldnt get that psych to help him get onto disability.He read the bottle and it says may cause drowsiness and other serious side affects please do not operate heavy machinery yet it also said please use caution while driving.This medication literaly knocked him out almost unconscious he could not work he reported it the next day and all she could say is that wasnt suppose to happen.thats all and to give it some time and he asked for help to get onto disability until they could find the right dosage, if he is going to be using meds.affecting him that way.she wouldnt.others had to drive him around for a little bit and monitor him.he just quit the medication all together. "
Pepe el Toro wrote on Nov 27, 2007 11:08 PM:
" City Ordinace violations are not enforced at the swapmeet because the code enforement officers are to busy searching for yardsale signs posted on power poles. Lets worry about the bigger problems first. You'll be amazed all the illegal things that go on at the swapmeet, from stolen property being sold, to narcotics, and of course the parking nightmare and traffic concerns. "
gymjunkie wrote on Nov 27, 2007 10:24 AM:
" ....and if you can't stand it that vehicles are present then don't go! If the majority of people don't want autos there and don't show up the owner will get the message and police it himself. "
gymjunkie wrote on Nov 27, 2007 9:18 AM:
" anirak81-I'm sure no one wishes to run down people in a crowd. But just because of one unfortunate incident I don't think it would justify making a law against autos in the place. So whos going to police it the taxpayers? The vendors? If such a law was passed it would have to be applied to all events and parking lots where people are present. You can't just single out one event and then make a law to hinder their business. What about parades? Are we going to ban vehicles? Afterall someone might have a heart attack and go barreling into the crowd with their float. People just need to pay attention when a vehicle is moving around, don't rely on the driver seeing you. Just use some common sense. "
joseccastaneda wrote on Nov 26, 2007 10:18 PM:
" "had served as a reality check of conditions shaped by an enormous Mexican majority accustomed to living with fewer regulations."
As opposed to knowing the rules and blatantly breaking them? What ignorance on the part of this writer. "
anirak81 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:17 PM:
" first of all read everything before you comment...that "idiot" was cleared by the doctor to drive, in that case the "idiot" would be the doctor not the guy. An idiot is someone stupid who does things for no reason, I'm sure he didnt wish to do that. "
chonguis wrote on Nov 26, 2007 8:17 PM:
" yea, guy sounds like an idiot to me too. "
localmotion13 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 8:12 PM:
" when will calexico ban people driving at the swap meet. maybe another accident has to happen before there is any anything done. when you go to the clx swapmeet your on your own don't expect any one with authority to care about what happens there.
clx swap meet should be have some sort of safety plan. ok fire dept why don't you check if it is safe for elderly, handicapped and children pedestrians. "
gymjunkie wrote on Nov 26, 2007 4:44 PM:
" vanicastaneda, your right the "idiot" didn't go wild his car did. He's still an idiot for driving while being treated for a disorder that could cause siezures. I'm sure any medicine he was taking said "do not drive". And if he wasn't on medicine then he shouldn't have been driving with a disorder that could cause siezures. Sheesh, idiot in my book. "
abelito wrote on Nov 26, 2007 2:59 PM:
" Otra vez! La burra al trigo! "
newsguy wrote on Nov 26, 2007 12:35 PM:
" I'll park inside if I have to. "
susflores wrote on Nov 26, 2007 12:19 PM:
" I went to the swapmeet this past Wednesday. I witnessed several trucks hauling merchandise one of whom was a woman driver, (no offense) this lady had couches on the back of her truck hauling a**! seriously, there is no order in there, no one stopped her or told her anything as she exited the area. Another truck was pulling a small trailer with merchandise and kids where too close to the wheels which were wider than the truck, as the truck started to move the mom yelled out to the kids to get out of the way. geez...one of these days... something is going to happen and it's sad to see there's no order because you find good stuff in there. "
socorro wrote on Nov 26, 2007 12:16 PM:
" I think EVERYONE should park outside the fleamarket. I live in the Bay Area and here all autos park outside, NO EXCEPTIONS. "
serg98 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:38 AM:
" its buisness as usual in Calexico. The martinez family have no remorse nor care about their safety of their customers. Its all about money!! We cannot expect much from our Police dept nor city council. negligence is a crime. "
jsyi wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:31 AM:
" No matter who cut the cheese, crap happened.... "
jsyi wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:29 AM:
" I agree with gymjunkie...... the swap meets have been around for a very long time and this is the first of this sort of incident I've heard occuring. The incident was an isolated freak accident that does not warrant the need for a vehicle ban. Well I guess there's a first for everything.... If a ban is imposed there then why not at the fairgrounds, the parks and any other place that has any people around during any period of the day or night. If this were to have happened while a maintenance worker was driving out of Bucklin Park and suffered a seizure of some sort would we request a ban? "
vanicastaneda wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:26 AM:
" first of all, that "idiot" did not go wild, why dont you get facts straight before giving out opinions. That "idiot" has a disorder that he was being treated for. It is still unclear if the doctor had cleared him for driving and if he did, then the people that write without getting the facts are the "idiots". Please be more respectful for situations.... "
gymjunkie wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:10 AM:
" I don't know, I don't see the problem. Just cause one idiot goes wild doesn't seem to be enough justification to change what has been happening for years. If people were getting run over regularly then yeah ban autos. But I don't see the problem. Maybe we should ban autos from mall parking lots. After all I'm sure more have been run over there than this one incident. "
creek123 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 9:05 AM:
" It's very disturbing when the local reporter has more passion and interest about the health and safety issues of the community than the indifference of City Hall. Yes, City Hall-you do issue business licenses-you collect sales tax-you do have broad authority to enforce the law. I think city hall is afraid of the owner. "
aesco1 wrote on Nov 26, 2007 7:51 AM:
" Im surprised that the people that live around Santo Thomas swap-meet have not been more vocal about having car's parked all over the place over there it's a nightmare. Also on that one intersection Williams Ave, and Hwy 98, Im surprised that there has not been an major accident, people come flying out of that intersection "
jsyi wrote on Nov 26, 2007 1:41 AM:
" hmm... "
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Gymjunkie wrote on Dec 1, 2007 8:04 AM: