On Monday two people lost their lives at the intersection of Highway 204 and 10th Street SE. Several years ago the residents of this area asked for a signal light. We were told that there had to be fatalities before a signal light would be installed. The powers that be bought us off with a turn lane. For a number of years the accidents did decline somewhat. Since then, our population has increased significantly. At certain times of the day, crossing or turning onto Highway 204 is a lot like playing Russian Roulette.
Visibility at this corner is limited by a guardrail to the left and, recently, construction cones on the right. Americans long ago realized that freedom comes with the price of human blood spilled. However, the thought that the price of a signal light should also be couched in terms of human blood sickens me to the core.
Whoever came up with this criteria that so many lives lost equal one signal light, and those that have bought into this criteria, should be deeply ashamed. I find this criteria to be barbaric, cruel and cold to the extreme. Based on this criteria, two people lost their lives and one young man now lives with the anguish at his part in their loss. This neighborhood is now determined to see a signal light installed at this intersection. With all the new building permits issued along this corridor during the last year, this problem will continue to escalate until more lives are lost. Even if either of the drivers involved had seen it coming, neither would have been able to act in time to prevent it. Our hearts go out to the families of those who died and to the young man involved.
Jan Drayton
Everett
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