Guest editorial: When will it stop?
It's a bright, sunny, hot day here in Kansas. Early in the afternoon two young, carefree, teenage girls were out doing what teenage girls do in the summer. They were just being teen-agers — no school, no worries, maybe go swimming, maybe a little hanging out with friends.
While driving north on U.S.-77 in Florence they came to the infamous "intersection" where U.S.-77 crosses U.S.-50. The story is the same as it has been so many, many times before. They came to a stop, looked, but didn't see the 18-wheeler. He had no chance to stop.
This time, meeting was devastating. Two young, promising lives gone in an instant. Only 15 and 16 years old!
Do you remember being 15? Do you remember all of the experiences you have enjoyed since you were 15? Experiences these two young girls will never have. No prom, no senior trip, no graduation, no college, no wedding, no chance to grow up! Forever a haunting memory burned into the minds of the emergency workers, called to yet another wreck at the "intersection."
Do you suppose these young girls knew it was the most dangerous intersection in the state of Kansas? Would that have made a difference? Should it make a difference? Shouldn't anyone be able to drive on any U.S. highway and feel reasonably safe?
I believe that there is a real problem with this intersection. Every wreck that has happened there has been during daylight hours. One was in the early morning hours in the fog, but the majority occurred on bright, sunny days. None at night. One driver even stopped and waited for a motorcycle to pass then pulled right into the path of the semi-truck following it.
We always hear the same thing: "I stopped and looked, I just didn't see them coming." Even the drivers on U.S.-50 will say, "They stopped and looked right at me, then just pulled out."
If people were not paying attention the accidents would be happening everywhere, not just in this spot. There has got to be a visibility problem there.
According to Florence Ambulance records, they were called to 10 injury accidents at that intersection in 2002. This does not include minor accidents where the ambulance was never called. Fourteen patients needed transporting for medical care. One person died at the scene with another person dying a few weeks later from injuries sustained in the same crash.
One day there was even a second wreck before the ambulance was back from the hospital from the first accident! Already in 2003 there have been seven wrecks and three fatalities.
To the state politicians and Kansas Department of Transportation, the accident that occurred Thursday may be just another statistic. But to this community it may very well have been the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back."
Plans already were underway in Florence to start a concentrated effort to get something done to make the junction of U.S.-50/77 safer.
There are many rumors about what is being planned by the state. Some say the DOT is planning a four-way stop. Some say they will closing 8th Street. Others say nothing will be done because enough people have not been killed there. Well guess what? One life is too many and we are way over the mark.
Kansas State Rep. Don Dahl (70th District) was in Florence for a town meeting one week prior to the accident. When asked if anything was in the works, he was unaware if there were any plans. Frankly, he didn't seem too concerned.
Right then I decided it was time to take matters into our own hands. The people of Florence and Marion County need to come together and end this menace that has plagued us for so long.
Some people think an overpass at that intersection is too expensive. But I believe it is the right solution and we have to strive for it.
Not counting the cost in human lives, look at the cost of 20 crashed vehicles and medical bills for 14 people.
Lowering the speed limit would help, but that is something that needs constant enforcement by the local police to be effective. An overpass is working all the time.
Let's face it, the State of Kansas does some stupid things with our money. They built an overpass in Peabody, which was a good thing. Unfortunately, they built it over a dirt road and a rarely-used railroad track and left the drivers on the highly traveled Nighthawk Road to fend for themselves.
The DOT is seriously considering closing 8th Street at Florence to end the accidents at the intersection of the highways. I don't follow that logic, or lack of it, at all.
An overpass can be done! It MUST be done! But we can't let it be done wrong. If it had been done earlier, there would not be nearly so many tear-stained pillows today.
To the families: May you know that a little part of us dies each time we hear the tones of our pagers. In the back of our minds we think "Is it my daughter, my son, my husband or wife?" We know it will be somebody's family. We cry with you at your loss and pray each time it happens that this will be the last.
There will be an organizational meeting in Florence to gather ideas and information about solutions. Be watching for details. — Scott Zogelman
