Scholarship a U.S. 2 memorial
Published 11:18 pm Sunday, June 1, 2008
SULTAN — Lizzie Monroe, 15, wanted to do something positive about U.S. 2.
Many people have lost their lives and suffered injuries along the narrow highway. Her friend Thomas Turner was killed in a U.S. 2 head-on crash on Dec. 28.
Lizzie, a Sultan High School sophomore, decided to create a new scholarship, called the U.S. 2 Memorial Scholarship, as part of her class assignment. The scholarship aims to help graduating seniors with college tuition, honor those who died along U.S. 2 and raise awareness about the highway’s safety problems.
“Before Tom’s accident, I wasn’t fully aware how serious the problem was,” said Lizzie, of Gold Bar. “After the accident, I definitely became aware.”
American Mechanical Corp., a Monroe company that specializes in plumbing, heating and service, pitched in $500 for the scholarship this year. People can still send donations to the scholarship fund. Donations sent after Wednesday will be saved for the next year, Lizzie said.
Lizzie has contacted the U.S. 2 Safety Coalition, seeking support for her fledging project. Fred Walser, who leads the grass-roots group of local residents and officials, said that he’s pleased that a high school student is taking action to improve U.S. 2.
“I want to involve young people in the coalition,” Walser said. “I think it’s important because young drivers need to learn good driving safety habits.”
The group supports the scholarship, Walser said.
“We are going to work very hard with Lizzie to make this project a success,” Walser said.
Since 1999, 48 people have been killed in crashes and accidents along U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Stevens Pass, according to the state Department of Transportation. A third of those fatalities occurred in crossover crashes.
Overall safety improvements for U.S. 2 are estimated to cost more than $2 billion. The state has set aside about $14 million to tackle some safety projects along the highway over the next few years, including adding centerline rumble strips between east of Monroe and Stevens Pass, and extending a left-turn lane in Sultan and Gold Bar.
Many students know little about the highway’s safety problems, said Lizzie, who is now trying to get her driver’s license.
Lizzie is scheduled to start taking classes at Cascadia Community College in Bothell this fall. She chose Cascadia over Everett Community College partly because her parents didn’t want her to drive on U.S. 2 all the way to Everett.
To commute to Bothell, Lizzie can take U.S. 2 to Monroe and switch to Highway 520.
“I’d rather drive on Highway 520 than I do on Highway 2,” she said.
The death of Thomas Turner opened her eyes and made her pay more attention to driving, Lizzie said.
“I know that it could happen to anybody,” she said. “It just happened to one of my friends.”
Her idea to create the scholarship surprised and pleased Laurie Turner, Thomas’ mother.
“I think it’s incredible,” Turner said. “That’s a very brave cause to propose.”
When Thomas died in a head-on crash, he was a passenger in a car driven by his 17-year-old friend.
Driver’s inattention causes most accidents, Laurie Turner said.
“Pay attention,” she said. “Unfortunately, teenagers don’t take it seriously.”
U.S. 2 memorial scholarship
Sultan High School sophomore Lizzie Monroe recently created a scholarship called the U.S. 2 Memorial Scholarship to help graduating seniors with college tuition and to honor those who died along U.S. 2.
Those who want to help may send their donations to the U.S. 2 Memorial Scholarship Fund, C/O Sultan Education Foundation, P.O. Box 514, Sultan, WA 98294.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
