Letters

Woman right to sue over deadly crash

Regarding the Feb. 16 article, “State sued over cable barriers in deadly I-5 crash”:

I support Fawn Ringen’s quest for redress. Her parents were killed by a driver who was required to know the law; trailers are restricted to the right lane, at 55 mph. Putting a boat/trailer behind your pick-up can quadruple your momentum/stopping distance. Moving to the fast lane at 65 can add another 20 percent to your deadly force. That driver showed a callous disregard for safety and the consequences. The state could have brought manslaughter charges, based on the facts, but declined. Fawn should take a share of the truck driver’s wealth and a hefty settlement from his insurance company, as compensation for her losses, and the load put on her family since the wreck.

I suppose any cable barriers should be built to stop the yahoos and lawbreakers, as well as regular traffic, but how strong is enough? That will be decided in court. I encourage anyone who sees a trailer in the fast lane or HOV lane to safely call 911. I call on the State Patrol to place more emphasis on catching yahoos who will drive their trailers in the wrong lanes.

Jim Hutchison

Marysville

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