Friday 24 February 2012

Driving at the speed of suicide, taking animals with them

I think we are just finding some who insist on driving faster, driving distracted, and taking stupid chances with potential victims, and the people and animals we love.

Tourists at Niagara-on-the-lake
Snowmobiles go faster and faster. Sledding at the speed of suicide, on machines that are loud and uncontrollable be newbies.
Drivers on our roads disrespect speed limits and other drivers, pass in unsafe conditions.
Distracted drivers? Asleep figuratively or metaphorically at the wheel, or on their phones.

SLow down, people. Somebody out there loves your victim(s). You are not any more important than they are. A life of painful chronic health issues are not anything someone would wish for, you or our loved ones.

Take this case: An OPP officer, nearly at his 30-year retirement mark, slams into the back of a buggy. A beautiful horse and buggy, in Mennonite country, where life take its time and buggies run on the shoulders of the road. The horse is sent 30 metres. The man, in serious condition.
Horse & Buggy – Lanark County

The issue is: OPP do not name, nor charge the OPP officer, until public outrage raises the profile of the case.

buggy statue in Balderson


OPP quick to name civilian in Mount Forest, Ont. horse and buggy accident, but not officer in another


On Jan. 13 in Kenilworth, an 11-year-old boy named Landis Martin was killed after Benjamin Peters’ pickup truck struck the coach from behind. The impact catapulted Landis and his two older brothers from the buggy.
In that case, the OPP identified the 19-year-old driver immediately and police announced they are investigating.

The buggy driver had a dozen fractured vertebrae. Ten of 24 ribs broken. Both lungs punctured and collapsed. His spleen was torn and had to be removed. There was bleeding in his brain. A broken collarbone. He spent a month in hospital — the first two weeks sedated and attached to a breathing machine.

On November 14, 2011...
Driving a Mennonite buggy to pick up students from school, Frey’s injuries were extensive, “life-threatening,” police said.
Perth Fair

There are horses all about southern and central Ontario. Drive safely.

3 comments:

hamilton said...

I have read about this incident and it saddens me greatly. These buggies are not hard to see and so commonplace that it is inconceivable that there is not a lot more to this story. 'Protecting your own' seems a moot point in this case as apparently everyone in town knows who the officer is.

Kay said...

That is so awful. We've been noticing how the police here have been sometimes protecting their own also. What a terrible accident!

W.C.Camp said...

Just put the distracting phones away would be a start. Well said!! W.C.C.