The other day I read fellow I-35 Blog Pack and Injuryboard member Mike Bryant’s blog entitled “I-35 Collision Kills Two.” Mike discusses a tragic accident that occurred in Minnesota where two people were killed when a 19 year old driver lost control of his car and veered into oncoming traffic on I-35.
Mike made an insightful commentary regarding the stretch of road where this automobile collision occurred. He noted that this stretch of road did not have any safety cables. Specifically, Mike stated
The crash happened on a stretch of interstate in Forest Lake that lacks a physical safety barrier in the median that is designed to prevent cross-over crashes. I have written about the value of the cables in preventing these kinds of tragedies. Sorrow for the family of the child and all of those involved goes out.
This is a story all too familiar with Oklahomans who travel I-35 daily. While the State of Oklahoma has attempted erect safety cables along I-35 and other heavily trafficked areas, there still remains hundreds of miles of I-35 in Oklahoma that do not have these safety cables designed to prevent cross-over head on crashes. We need to continue to encourage our State to install these cables along every area of I-35. While I’m sure some will complain about the costs of such, I personally will not and cannot put a value on another human’s life. Further, I’m certain there are plenty of pork and other projects using tax dollars that could be redirected to this safety area.
For questions you have about these collisions and to read previous posts from our blog pack contact or visit this website as well as the websites of:
Steve Lombardi, 4200 Corporate Drive, Suite 112, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266 Tel: 515-222-1110
Schuelke, C Brooks, 1717 W 6th St # 375, Austin, TX (512) 476-4944
Mike Bryant, 1505 Division Street | Waite Park, Minnesota 56387 | T: 320.259.5414
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2 Comments
Mike Bryant
You are so right about what each state should be looking at. It is clear that these fences do save lives. Think about the force it takes to crossover and combine that with the other car going the other way at Highway speeds, it is tragedy. Hopeful State officials will see that.
Truckie D
I totally agree -- every mile of divided highway in the country should have these barriers. I've seen many crashes over the years, both with and without barriers. It's amazing how effective these barriers can be -- even stopping trucks.
Wouldn't these be a great economic stimulus project?
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