Red light runners causing concerns at busy South Bend intersection

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Red light runners is becoming a growing concern in South Bend.

Specifically near Eddy Street and LaSalle Avenue. Those who drive and walk through the area said they are fed up with the impatient drivers.

“People run the red lights a lot,” Sunday Simpson said. She crosses LaSalle daily to get to and from work. “It’s like people forget about other people and they are more worried about themselves.”

The South Bend Clinic has a crossing guard helping staff cross the street to get to their staff parking lot safely because people are just driving carelessly.

“It’s crazy out here all the time,” Gloria Pace said, who also works at the clinic and crosses LaSalle daily.

While running red lights is against the law, it doesn’t seem to be stopping some South Bend Drivers. ABC57’s Tiffany Salameh was able to catch 11 people on camera ignoring red lights at the intersection Wednesday.

 “I’m worried someone’s going to get in an accident or i could be hit despite everything crossing the street,” Pace said. “I’m glad we have a crossing guard here because without that we might not be safe.”

Chuck Floyd has noticed the issue as well. He drives through the intersection at LaSalle and Eddy Street daily.

“Traffic is very much out of control in this city but as long as people don’t get cited for it people are going to take advantage of it,” Floyd said.

The fine for running a red light in Indiana is at least $100 and 6 points on your license. Red light cameras won’t help with this problem because they are actually illegal in the state of Indiana.

“No one likes to stop at a red light I know it’s aggravating we’re in a hurry, we want to get to work, we want to get to the store and we wanna get home,” Floyd said. “But there are other people on the road and those lights are there for a reason.”

South Bend Police are urging drivers that red means stop and yellow means prepare to stop — not speed up.