‘Welcome to Glendale’ sign knocked down in alleged hit and run
A concrete sign engraved with “Welcome to Glendale” had only been standing a month before it was knocked down early Wednesday morning when a vehicle crashed into it.
A witness reported the crash to the Glendale Police Department just after 4 a.m. However, according to Sgt. Daniel Suttles, the witness didn’t see what happened and only heard a crashing sound.
For the record:
3:45 p.m. Dec. 21, 2017A previous version of this story stated the sign straddled the border of La Crescenta and Glendale. It’s been updated to reflect that the sign was installed last month in the median of Foothill Boulevard near Lowell Avenue.
“When officers arrived [at the scene] the only thing that was there was the car, which was resting on top of the broken sign,” the department spokesman said.
The car, a black Toyota Prius, was impounded by authorities. Suttles said officers were unsuccessful in contacting the vehicle’s registered owner.
He said the crash is currently being investigated as a hit and run.
The sign is installed in the median of Foothill Boulevard near Lowell Avenue. Because of its location and message, it has garnered criticism from nearby residents since the design was first revealed in 2016.
Around 1,500 people signed separate online petitions calling for a sign that would welcome people to La Crescenta or the Crescenta Highlands rather than Glendale. The reasoning behind the petitions was that despite being officially a part of Glendale since 1951, residents continue to refer to the area as La Crescenta.
Harry Leon, president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, previously said residents have also raised a concern that the sign posed a safety hazard to motorists because of its placement and muted visibility.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
