Dear Editor,
About three weeks ago I called the local RCMP station situated just down the road from where I live. I was concerned about the speed so many drivers travel at along the “Highway to Heaven” stretch of No. 5 Road. Some seem to be approaching the speeds that Highway 99 drivers are going.
I was told by the RCMP to take it up with Richmond City Hall.
Last week, there was a terrible accident, partly due to inattentivness and speed. As can be seen in the accompanying picture (above), the driver had to be extracted from his car after they used the jaws of life to cut the car. I would estimate he hit the truck at a speed of at least 80 k/hr. No skidmarks, and the more than 400-pound tamper on the back of the truck was almost 20 feet away from the truck.
I can’t quite come to grips with the fact that, rather than check out the situation and do some enforcement, I was told to contact another authority.
It seems that the RCMP is overloaded, or they are not diligent enough to pursue a complaint that could save people from injury or even death.
I would guess the average speed people drive at along this stretch is closer to 80 km/hr than the posted 50 km/hr.
As a note, I observed another driver flying past as many cars as possible, once the road had finally been cleared of the accident. I guess there is just no fixing stupid.
S. Sheriland
Richmond
