Email  Print

Heart-stopping moment on Fifth Street West

Editor, Index-Tribune:

 

I agree with the Nov. 21 letter to the editor by Rosemary U’Ren (“Concerned about Fifth Street West safety”). I’ve lived in Sonoma for 24 years and have seen drivers go around vehicles that stopped at the Safeway crosswalk to allow pedestrians to cross.

A few days ago, I stopped at that crosswalk, before completing my turn into Safeway, to allow a family group to cross. A white sedan coming up from behind me swerved around me and passed on the left without slowing. The driver would have mowed the whole family down, but they hesitated in front of my car to peek around to see if it was safe to complete their crossing. It was a heart-stopping moment when I thought the family might get hit. The lights were flashing at the crossing and are very visible even from blocks away. How to get drivers to slow down? Is it worth taking a life to gain a second?

Kathleen Tugwell
Sonoma