A Columbia man was charged in the crash that killed 19-year-old Andrew Noel and prompted an outraged community to demand safety precautions at a dangerous intersection.
Robert Neil Mecklenburg, 79, of Upwoods Lane, is charged with failure to yield the right of way, which carries a fine of up to $1,000, and negligent driving, which carries a fine of up to $500, Howard County police said.
Mecklenburg could not be reached for comment Monday, but he can either pay the traffic fines or contest the charges in court.
Noel’s mother, Valerie Noel, said Monday that she had not been notified of the charges lodged against Mecklenburg.
“I have not seen the police report, and I really don’t have an opinion right now,” Noel said.
Police said the crash occurred about 3 p.m. July 19 when Mecklenburg, driving northbound in a 1998 Dodge Durango, attempted to enter the westbound Interstate 70 ramp in Ellicott City and made a left turn in front of Noel’s 2007 Yamaha R6 motorcycle on southbound Route 29.
The motorcycle struck the Dodge, and Noel was pronounced dead at the scene. Mecklenburg was released from Howard County General Hospital after being treated for minor injuries, police said.
State tries to improve safety
The death of Noel, a recent Mount Hebron High School graduate, shook the community and sparked complaints from residents who said taking the northbound Route 29 ramp to I-70 West was dangerous, because drivers must cross over the southbound lanes of Route 29, where traffic flows at highway speeds.
David Buck, spokesman for the State Highway Administration, said SHA officials responded to the complaints in September by:
• Adding rumble strips and warning signs along southbound Route 29 north of the I-70 interchange and the northbound Route 29 crossover accessing westbound I-70;
• Replacing a yield sign with a stop sign along northbound Route 29 at the crossover to access the ramp to westbound I-70.
The crossover warning signs and rumble strips in each lane along southbound Route 29 are intended to help alert motorists to turning traffic.
But Valerie Noel presented a 6,000-signature petition to state Department of Transportation officials demanding even greater safety precautions.
Andrew Noel’s death was the first reported fatality at the interchange, which was built in 2002, but 10 nonfatal accidents occurred at the location in 2007, according to SHA.
State highway officials have agreed to continue working with county officials in upcoming months to identify any other safety enhancements. A long-term engineering study is also under way, which includes studying traffic volume, according to SHA.
The study’s results are expected later in the fall.
