Crews paint over dead raccoon on Franklin St.

Local News

Related Photos

A dead raccoon is covered with yellow paint from a PennDOT road crew that was repainting lines along Franklin Street in Johnstown. Submitted photo

Discussion

August 8, 2012

Crews paint over dead raccoon on Franklin St.

Josh Byers jbyers@tribdem.com The Tribune-Democrat Fri Aug 10, 2012, 09:45 AM EDT

JOHNSTOWN — Sean McAfee of Johnstown did a double take on his way home from work late last week.

What caught the biker’s attention was a dead raccoon in the middle of Franklin Street. Not that unusual – except that this racoon had been painted over by a road crew.

“When I saw it, I almost wrecked my motorcycle because I was laughing so hard,” McAfee said.

According to a PennDOT spokesman, the incident Thursday, while embarrassing, was unavoidable.

“They did try to stop the paint gun,” District 9 traffic engineer John Ambrosini said.

“But with the amount of congestion Thursday, the squirrelly geometry of the road and the size of equipment, they couldn’t turn around to go back and fix the mistake.”

Ambrosini said a foreman vehicle usually travels in front of or behind the painting vehicle to clean up or move any obstructions.

But that morning there was no accompanying foreman vehicle.

The paint crew saw the dead critter, he said. But it was too late to stop the double yellow lines from running up the back of the raccoon.

A two-foot break in the lines shows where the crew apparently tried to avoid the deceased animal.

“We were out the next morning to clean it up,” Ambrosini said.

An unpainted spot is all that remains of where the unfortunate animal met its demise. Ambrosini said that he is unsure when a crew will repair the less-than-perfect paint job.

He said that the problem occurs “pretty frequently.”

But, he said, paint crews takes their jobs very seriously.

“Painting the yellow lines over the existing lines is not easily done.”

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat print edition.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat e-edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

Easter Seals’ branches join, add services
A June 4 merger of two independent Pennsylvania Easter Seals nonprofit organizations has led to an increased service area and expanded programs, Johnstown Division Director Annette Shearman said.

June 17, 2013
Inmate’s hearing delayed
The first court appearance by a death-row inmate who police and many witnesses say slammed a Cambria County attorney in the face more than a month ago is again delayed.

June 17, 2013
Bedford trial set to open
A man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a western Bedford County man he called his best friend will attempt to convince a jury that he should not be held responsible for his death.

June 17, 2013
Richland bash sheds Thunder ties
Although no longer officially part of Thunder in the Valley, Richland Bike Bash provides another motorcycle-themed venue for music, food and fun while supporting the Richland Township Fire Department.

June 17, 2013
Pool ’n Pork festival adds new activities
Each year, the Nanty Glo Pool and Park along Lincoln Avenue tries to draw a portion of the leather-clad throngs speeding to Johns-town’s annual Thunder in the Valley event.

June 17, 2013 1 Photo
Funeral plans set for Jackson Twp. firefighter
Funeral arrangements have been set for a Jackson Township firefighter killed in a tractor accident over the weekend.

June 17, 2013
Police roundup: 2nd man sought in diamond heist
Richland Township police are looking for a second suspect in connection with a jewelry store robbery at The Galleria on Saturday.

June 17, 2013
In brief: West Taylor bridge project underway
Work to replace two structures that cross Wildcat Run and a tributary to Laurel Run on Cooper Avenue, Route 3041, in West Taylor Township began Monday.

June 17, 2013
$10,000 in copper wire stolen from turbines
State police say $10,000 worth of copper wire has been stolen from two disassembled wind turbines being stored on property in southwestern Pennsylvania.

June 17, 2013
Man jailed in jewelry store robbery
The man who police said robbed a Richland Township jewelry store on Saturday was jailed the same day, authorities said.
Shane Bradley Neisner, 26, of the 1200 block of Killiwhat Street, entered Littman Jewelers at The Galleria shortly before 2:30 p.m. and asked to see a diamond ring, township police said.
Neisner allegedly snatched the $5,000 ring from the hand of the salesperson and ran out of the store. He returned to the mall a short time later and sold the ring to TK Jewelers Bench for $300, police said.
He was arraigned by on-call District Judge Max Pavlovich of Richland on charges of robbery, retail theft, receiving stolen property and theft by deception.
Neisner was sent to the Cambria County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of $20,000.

June 17, 2013
More Local News Headlines

Do you think Edward Snowden, the American who claims to have given documents about classified phone records to journalists, should be:

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Crews paint over dead raccoon on Franklin St.

Do you think Edward Snowden, the American who claims to have given documents about classified phone records to journalists, should be:

Contact Us