Here
’s an easy New Year’s resolution for those of driving age: Let’s
all resolve to make more of an effort to prevent traffic accidents.
This past year saw far too many, including a student who was in a
crosswalk hit by another student driving to school, and
unfortunately, five deaths.
Here’s an easy New Year’s resolution for those of driving age: Let’s all resolve to make more of an effort to prevent traffic accidents. This past year saw far too many, including a student who was in a crosswalk hit by another student driving to school, and unfortunately, five deaths.
Let’s resolve, those of us who drive, to be aware of our surroundings, aware of what we are doing. Put down the cell phone (or pull safely off the road to make or answer a call), don’t eat breakfast/lunch/dinner while trying to drive, don’t open up that laptop and don’t try to write, read or watch a TV/DVD screen. Sound farfetched? Some drivers actually think they can drive responsibly and do all these things. There are enough natural distractions that occur, do we really need to add more?
In 2003, Morgan Hill’s spate of fatalities included Luis Ruelas-Martinez, 24, of San Jose, who was apparently traveling too fast for a curve, lost control of his vehicle and ran off the road, ending up upside down after ricocheting off a fence and a tree.
Another Morgan Hill man was killed when he was hit by a minivan on Monterey Road near Spring Avenue in southwest Morgan Hill. Roberto Crescenio, 24, was traveling on foot when he was killed.
Rosalie Peña, 50, of Morgan Hill, was killed on Monterey Highway near Peebles Avenue, yards away from the site of the Peña family’s Sinaloa Cafe, when her car was hit from behind by another vehicle and pushed into a parked tractor trailer.
And in what Morgan Hill Police Lt. Joe Sampson called an “aberration,” the department handled three serious accidents during one weekend; two of which resulted in fatalities.
Gregory Wilson, 43, of Morgan Hill, was killed that weekend in a collision between two motorcycles on Native Dancer. The collision didn’t kill him, but the impact bounced the cycle off the road and into a tree.
Another accident that same weekend led to Morgan Hill’s fourth collision-related fatality in 60 days. Rigoberto Espinosa Maya, Jr., 26, of Greenfield, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by medical personnel after apparently running a red light, striking a street light and a bus stop before ending up crashing into the front of the Jack In the Box restaurant, police said.
Another pedestrian accident occurred when a Britton Middle School student was hit in the crosswalk in front of the school. Other cars at the crosswalk in front of the school on Monterey Road were stopped to let him cross, but one car didn’t stop. The student escaped serious injury, receiving bruises, lacerations and scrapes, but no broken bones as originally feared. He was fortunate, and so was the 17-year-old Central High student who hit him. Still, it was a traumatic incident for both students and for other students who witnessed the accident.
Fortunately, during this year’s “Avoid the 13” holiday anti-drunk driving campaign, the city had no DUI-related injury accidents or fatalities. Maybe some of us are getting the message. There were 38 DUI arrests, however, during the period which began Dec. 12 and ended Jan. 4. That’s down “a few” from last year, according to the MHPD, and possibly that does mean people are getting the message.
Let’s resolve to make 2004 in Morgan Hill the year of the conscientious driver, the year of no traffic fatalities, the year of the safe pedestrian. In downtown Morgan Hill and around all the school sites there are clear signs – new bright fluorescent signs – warning drivers of the potential for pedestrians. Let’s resolve to pay attention to them and slow down, look around, be on the alert for potential problems.
Everyone can be in a hurry, be impatient, be running late for work or an important meeting or social event, but getting pulled over by police will only cause more delay. An accident, even a fender bender, means even more delay. And a fatality, well, the emotional “delay” from being the cause of another person’s death is something that will linger for many long years.
