Read the signage, and follow the rules of the road.

Adherence to those tips goes a long way when driving in Jamestown.

And they just may prevent an accident.

Jamestown Police Department Capt. Scott Forster advises along with summer, comes construction on city streets.

A car passes through the intersection at Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue near Persell Middle School.

“There’s going to be a lot of work being done in different places, and there’s going to be signage as to whether it’s slow down, stop or don’t go a certain way,” Forster said.

He added that during the summer there will be more traffic and more vehicles on the road than during other months aren’t there.

“It’s imperative that people pay attention to the roads, and not be distracted by something inside the car or outside the car.”

According to the City of Jamestown 2024 Annual Report including JPD and Jamestown Fire Department there were 682 accidents requiring accident reports – 552 property damage only, and 130 personal injury.

From 2019 to 2025 there have been six fatal accidents, Forster said.

Students gather at Jamestown High School for the first day. In 2024 there were three accidents near JHS. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

The top accident locations in the city included North Main Street at West Fifth Street; Crescent Street at Winsor Street; Buffalo Street at East Second Street; North Main Street at East Third Street; Falconer Street at Winsor Street; and South Main Street at Harrison Street (Brooklyn Square).

“I think there’s a lot of times people use those streets to get wherever they’re going,” Forster added. “There’s a lot of different causes (for accidents) and a lot of different factors for them. A lot of times somebody’s trying to get to work or trying to get to somewhere quicker, then that’s where we see these accidents.”

In 2024, the report said, there were 15 school zone motor vehicle accidents between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday from January to June and September through December within 50 meters of a school zone were three at Jamestown High School, two at Persell Middle School, two at Washington Middle School, one at Ring Elementary School, three at Love Elementary School, none at Fletcher Elementary School, two at Jefferson Middle School, two at Lincoln Elementary School, and one at Bush Elementary School.

“There’s a lot of a lot of traffic at the high school, and then at Love Elementary School,” Forster added.

Both City Council and The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education are in favor of reinstalling a guardrail at Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue. Council members discussed the reinstallation at a recent council meeting while JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said in January “”When it comes to the safety of children, I 100% believe that there should be guardrails, signs, flashing lights – whatever it takes to alert drivers who are coming down a hill.”

Harrison Street at Main Street, also known as Brooklyn Square, sees many motorists per day.

On Jan. 4, a vehicle went through the Baker Street at Hazeltine Avenue intersection straight onto the lawn of Persell School.

In 2023, the school board discussed the congestion along East Second Street near JHS.

Board member Frank Galeazzo addressed the safety concerns at September 2023 school board meeting.

“I saw an excessive amount of traffic being stopped out in front of Jamestown High School with parents trying to pick up students,” Galeazzo said, referring to the first day of school. “I know the police department is trying to curtail that as much as possible. … That is not a pick-up, drop-off spot.”

Galeazzo said he witnessed a police vehicle, with its lights and siren on, trying to get by in front of the high school but was stopped because of traffic congestion in both lanes in Front of JHS.

Third Street at Main Street is a busy intersection in Jamestown. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

“”Publicly, I’d just like to remind parents that is not a place to drop off and pick up students. It is a safety to our students. It’s a safety to our adults. It’s a safety to anyone else driving on that street,” Galleazzo continued.

There were 29 accidents in involving pedestrians requiring an accident report with 13 injuries, and no deaths, in 2024. In other years, the report said, by comparison, there were 20 vehicle/pedestrian accidents in 2019; 23 v/p accidents in 2020; 17 v/p accidents in 2021; 24 v/p accidents in 2022, and 23 v/p accidents in 2023.

There were five car/deer accidents requiring a report with no injuries reported at the scene. There were 4,451 vehicle stops by officers, and 2,608 tickets issued by officers, in 2024, the report said.

Forster said most accidents in the city occur between the middle of the day and early evening.

After responding to an accident, officers will gather information.

“The first thing we do, when we get there, is check for injuries, and make sure everybody is OK,” Forster said.

Then, the captain said, officers will continue to gather more information by talking to the drivers, and any witnesses that may have seen the accident. When all the information is gathered, officers then will fill out an accident form, and issue any tickets that may be associated with the accident.

Here are the Top 10 Tickets issued in 2024:

1. 292 tickets for third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle

2. 202 tickets for operating a motor vehicle with no inspection

3. 155 tickets for failing to stop at a stop sign

4. 127 tickets for operating a motor vehicle with an unlicensed driver

5. 122 tickets for operating a motor vehicle with no insurance

6. 117 tickets for operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a highway

7. 96 tickets without valid registration

8. 93 tickets for passing through a red light (traffic violation)

9. 65 tickets for an illegal signal in a parked position

10. 65 tickets for a muffler exhaust violation