Q. Please state your name and address for the record.
A. Vincent Smith, Nassau County Department of Public
Works, Traffic Engineering Unit, 1550 Franklin Avenue,
Mineola, New York, 11501.
Q. Mr. Smith, good morning. My name is Joan Doe. I
represent the plaintiff, Brian Carmine, in this action.
I'm just going to be asking you a short series of
questions this morning. If there is anything about my
questions that you don't understand, just let me know. I
will be happy to rephrase my questions for you. Okay?
A. Okay.
Q. Are you currently employed?
A. Yes, I am.
Q. By whom are you employed?
A. By the County of Nassau.
Q. What is your position?
A. I'm a traffic engineer.
Q. What does that position entail? What do you do?
A. Specifically I review and prepare plans for traffic
signal installations and review and modify their operation.
Q. How long have you been employed by the County of
Nassau in this position?
A. I was originally employed by Nassau County nineteen
years ago as a traffic technician, and I have become a
traffic engineer since then.
Q. Are you responsible for a specific area of the
County of Nassau or the entire County of Nassau?
A. The entire County.
Q. Can you just briefly tell me your educational
background?
A. I do not have an engineering degree. I have had
numerous courses in traffic engineering given by the
Northwestern University, various traffic safety groups. I
have backgrounds in electronics, through the military and
before that high school.
Q. Is the Village of Island Park in Nassau County?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. Do you know the size of Island Park?
A. No, I do not.
Q. Are you familiar with the roads and roadways in the
Village of Island Park? Are you familiar with the roads that
intersect at Island Parkway, Jackson Place and Scully Place
in Island Park?
A. That specific intersection, no, I'm not.
Q. Does part of your job involve traffic light pattern
phasing sequences?
A. Yes, it does.
Q. In what way are you involved with that particular
function?
A. On new installations I would propose a sequence to
be installed at an intersection. I would also at times
review the operation of existing signals.
Q. In addition to proposing sequences for new
installations, do you observe or inspect the sequence of
existing sequences? Is that part of your job?
A. I don't quite understand exactly what you are
asking.
Q. Do you maintain records at your office regarding
phasing sequences of lights at intersections in Nassau
County?
A. Yes, we do.
Q. Is that for every intersection or just on new
installations?
A. Every signalized intersection.
Q. Did you make a search of your records for the
phasing sequence of lights at the intersection of Island
Parkway, Scully Place and Jackson Place?
A. No, I did not.
Q. At or near the intersection of Island Parkway and
Jackson Place and/or Scully Place, are you aware of whether
or not there were any traffic signals?
A. How close do you mean by "near"?
Q. In the proximity of where Jackson Place and Scully
Place intersect with Island Parkway.
A. The nearest signal to that intersection would be at
the corner of Long Beach Road and Island Parkway.
Q. Let me just see, you brought with you a file today.
Can I ask you what that file is?
A. The file contains the result of the searches made
by different departments of the county in regard to the
intersection of Island Parkway and Scully Place.
Q. This file is maintained where?
A. By the Department of Public Works.
Q. For the record, can you please describe the
contents of Plaintiff's Exhibit 1?
A. We have an interdepartmental memo from the acting
Deputy Commissioner of Public Works to the administrative
section noting that Island Parkway is a county road and that
the following documents were found in the Department of
Public Works' records: The MV-10 4 accident report,
pavement marking diagram and pavement marking record.
Q. The rest of the file contains items you just
referred to, sir?
A. Along with the copy of the notice of claim.
Q. Inside the file--just note that it's a green
hanging file--there are two maps or diagrams that are taped
to the inside. Can you just describe what those are?
A. This is a copy of a map showing the general area of
the matter that was copied from a Hagstrom.
Q. Was this file maintained for the purpose of this
litigation or is it maintained in the regular course of
business at the County of Nassau for this intersection? Was
it put together because of this accident or is it maintained
in general for an intersection at that location?
A. This file is maintained because of this action.
Q. Is Island Parkway a county road?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. Is it maintained by the County of Nassau?
A. The roadway is maintained by Nassau County, that's
correct.
Q. Is Jackson Place a county road?
A. No, it is not.
Q. Do you know who owns and maintains Jackson Place?
A. No, I do not.
Q. Is Scully Place a county road?
A. No, it is not.
Q. Do you know who owns or maintains that road?
A. No, I do not.
Q. Is Long Beach Road a county road?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. Is the County of Nassau responsible for the traffic
signals and/or signals on Island Parkway?
A. Which one are you referring to, traffic signals or
traffic signs?
Q. Traffic signals let's start with.
A. Traffic signals, yes.
Q. How about traffic signs? Is the County of Nassau
responsible for maintaining the traffic signs on Island
Parkway?
A. The Island does limit its signing on county roads.
The towns or village, whatever the case may be, also does
signing.
Q. Are you aware of an accident that occurred at
approximately number 20 Island Parkway at or near the
intersection with Scully Place or Island Parkway on July 4,
1991?
A. I'm aware an accident did occur at that time, yes.
Q. How did you become aware?
A. By looking at a copy of the MV-104 form.
Q. Can I just ask you when you first saw that?
A. Earlier today.
Q. Did you ever have any contact with any other
parties involved in the accident?