Analysis: Recent crashes, hospital trips highlight risks at AC intersections
19 crashes, 8 injuries in American Canyon so far this year
A cluster of crashes with several trips to the emergency room this past month has re-ignited conversations about protected bike lanes and signage on American Canyon streets.
It’s no secret that driving around the city can be stressful, largely owed to the high number of commuters along Highway 29 heading to and from Napa and upvalley, from work trucks piled high with tree trimmings to motorcyclists whizzing by on adrenaline.
It’s made for some compromising situations. Many afternoons, people hoping to avoid a backed- up highway create stop-and-go traffic on side streets, while others braving the 29 hit the gas to catch the tail end of the yellow light at American Canyon Boulevard.
So far this year, American Canyon Police data shows there have been 19 crashes in city limits, keeping pace with statistics in the department’s 2024 annual report. Data from the American Canyon Police Department states that in 2024 there were 127 collisions in the city, including 75 on local roads and 52 on Highway 29.
In 2026, eight of the 19 collisions were misdemeanor hit and runs, and 14 were caused by speeding and drivers taking turns badly.
One incident was a crash on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the intersection of Highway 29 and American Canyon Road. As a young woman driving a Toyota Prius turned left toward Walgreens, a Toyota Crown ran a red light and T-boned her. She later checked herself into a hospital.
The morning of Thursday, Feb. 5, James Ha, an 11-year-old boy, was hit while heading north to American Canyon Middle School on his e-bike. He was walking his bike through a crosswalk at Elliott Drive and American Canyon Road when a woman driving a Toyota Camry hit him.
James Ha’s father, Ha Nhat Mike, said his son sustained a scratch across his face and went to the hospital with a broken wrist after being hit. He added that the driver of the Camry told the boy the sun was in her eyes and she did not see him.
“I’m shocked and angry,” Ha Nhat Mike said. “I need the city or mayor to fix the streets … I do not want another kid injured again like my son.” He went on to say the city badly needs more bike lanes, especially around the schools.
The aftereffects of a crash on the body can be hard to gauge. In some cases, whiplash can last longer than a month, and lifestyle changes can last longer: James Ha plays basketball at ACMS, but, according to his father, he won’t be able to play for around two months.
While the issue on Feb. 5 wasn’t exactly bike lanes, three out of five of the city’s public schools, Napa Junction Magnet School, American Canyon High School and Canyon Oaks Elementary School, are along roads with no bike lanes. Donaldson Way Elementary School and American Canyon Middle School have bike lanes, but they’re “unprotected,” meaning, the lane is painted onto the street, not sectioned off with bollards or curbs.
While city streets can be rough for cyclists, the four-lane highway with a 50 mile per hour speed limit presents an imposing challenge.
“Crossing 29 is the biggest barrier for kids riding to school,” said Kara Vernor, executive director of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition. “More would if they didn’t have to cross the 29.”
It’s a problem for most cities in Napa, she said. But the city of Napa recently came up with a solution that worked: the D Street Underpass, which crosses under Highway 29 at D Street. Unlike the multiple overpasses that dot the highway, the underpass is a route exclusively for walkers and cyclists to avoid crossing Highway 29.
“It’s fantastic,” Vernor said. “It worked really beautifully.”
While an underpass isn’t on the table for now, a Napa Valley Transportation Authority proposal to “signalize” Highway 29 would add signals to Highway 29 and Crawford Way and at Poco Way and South Napa Junction. Both intersections have had collisions this year. Part of the plan could include widening of existing islands as “refuges” for pedestrians and potentially adding more.
Deputy City Manager Alexandra Ikeda noted that this year, American Canyon was awarded Bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists, which recognizes the city’s “strong commitment to bicycling that is still in its beginning stages.”
Ikeda wrote in an email, “Over the past several years, American Canyon has made significant investments in Complete Streets and traffic calming initiatives that prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike,” including the creation of the 2022 Open Space, Active Transportation and Sustainability Commission, which helps push bike-friendly initiatives.
There’s still a way to go to improve safety for drivers, walkers and cyclists. A 2025 Michelin study of Napa County’s crash risk noted the intersection of American Canyon Road at Highway 29 and the nearby American Canyon High School to be high-risk crash areas due to “severe” braking and drivers averaging 35 MPH — about 10-15 MPH over the limit.
American Canyon is on the right track, but there’s still a long way to go to improve safety for drivers, walkers and cyclists.
