Re: Fatal hit and run in Hope (April 11)
I was one of the first people on the scene before the emergency response team appeared at the site of the poor person found in the ditch on Richmond Hill on April 6. I have driven down that road so many times and pointed out to many people the area of walkway on both sides of that part of the road. I’ve said that it is just an accident waiting to happen. On that small stretch there is a very narrow walkway on both sides with one lane going east and two lanes going west. I am only sorry that I have not expressed my views about it earlier.
Only two days before this incident, I pointed out to my husband while driving by a young family walking in the same area of the accident. The young lady was pushing a baby stroller. I know that it is very hard to push those strollers along the gravel and of course she had the stroller on the narrow walkway. If a vehicle swerved just slightly, they could have been hit. Actually, a vehicle would not even have to swerve or be driving too fast to hit someone in that area. All it would take would be one small miscalculation. If an adult is walking there and almost gets hit, they can usually jump out of the way but it would be very hard to move a baby stroller fast enough. Every day people take their lives and their children’s lives in their hands by walking along there but there are no alternatives.
When I see people walking there, I drive around them going a little bit into the lane going west, but some people wouldn’t or couldn’t because of oncoming vehicles. There are many young families that must walk along that area to go to town and they should have safer conditions.
I invite council to go down in that area and look for yourself. On both sides of the road, there is practically no walking space. Just as lanes were made wider on Highway 1 past the bridge for people’s safety, and I thankfully see that the area is frequently patrolled for speeders, something must also be done to make this area safer.
I have seen many more people use this area for bike riding and walking in the past years. Please make a decision to make a wider walkway there. Please do it before another human life is taken.
Darlene Boucher