Agencies not to blame for car driven into Sauk River

A recent letter critical of the response to a vehicle in the Sauk River seemed very naïve and misdirected.

First off, the Sauk River continues to run exceedingly high: Water is still passing over the vehicle. It is clearly unsafe for anyone to try and reach the car and attach a tow line until the water level drops. The safety of personnel involved in the car’s removal should be priority No. 1. And people with actual science backgrounds have stated that the car currently does not pose an environmental threat.

Second, instead of directing his vitriol at state and federal agencies taht protect wildlife and rivers, the author might want to direct it toward the 25-year-old local who drove it into the river. Go after both the driver and his insurance company and have them pay for removal of the car so expenses will not have to be born by taxpayers. Why does the letter writer want to have governments pay to extract a car from the river when they were not responsible for driving it in?

Governments deserve to be held accountable when they err or make mistakes. This case is not one of them.

Dan Clements

Everett