On the news it seems like every day we hear about hit-and-run accidents. Every day people are run over in crosswalks, on skateboards, standing on street corners. An epidemic.
This morning going to work I saw a child on the corner of a crosswalk waiting to cross to go to school, no crossing guard as he was of junior high age.
Twenty feet before this were the school zone warning lights flashing and telling people to slow to 20 mph. I stopped to let him cross, the cars coming from the opposite direction did not. I flashed my lights to the oncoming traffic hoping someone would stop, they did not.
The cars behind me became impatient and went into the gutter to go around. A semi truck pulling a Pepsi trailer went into the gutter to get around me, with inches to spare. This is a two-lane street, not a busy thoroughfare. This is a neighborhood street, kids walk to school and their parents have no idea just how risky it is for them to get to school.
If you don’t have time to stop, then leave 5 minutes early. If you can’t be early, then be late. It’s not worth a child’s life. Next time there’s another child run over by an impatient driver, no more “thoughts and prayers.” It means nothing. Do something real.
Patricia Nelson, West Valley City