Barbara J. Morton was driving her Dodge Neon with her 3-year-old boy, Mikey Pound, when the drive took a tragic turn. She was on Sharon Church Road near Gaston when her Neon hit a Ford E-150. Morton’s vehicle was propelled into a ditch and burst into flames, according to The State.
Ray Shealy, the driver of the Ford E-150, failed to yield to Morton’s Neon. Nevertheless, he made a heroic effort to try and save both Barbara and her son. Fortunately, he was able to get the child out of the car and to safety, but was unable to save Barbara.
This stretch of road in Lexington County, South Carolina (SC) is usually quiet and not used to such a horrendous scene. Ricky Spires, who lived close by, also made a noble effort to try and save Barbara but could not. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. Her legs were blocked by the front dash of the Neon. The extreme temperatures from the flames made the situation even more volatile and limited the amount of time they could try to extract Barbara.
My deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Barbara Morton. She was just 29 years old and had her entire life ahead of her. This is a tragedy and she was taken from this world far too soon.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Budget Cuts Ground Virginia Aerial Traffic Monitoring, Will Traffic Accidents Increase?
Did aerial monitoring play a part in this decrease of car accident fatalities? Maybe. There’s really no way to be sure, but the program probably didn’t hurt. When people are speeding and see a sign saying there’s a plane in the sky monitoring speed limits, it could cause the driver to slow down.
The major drawback of the program is, obviously, cost. It’s expensive to obtain a plane, pay for manpower capable of flying the aircraft and properly monitor traffic conditions, pay for fuel, etc.
A drawback not regularly mentioned is the potential safety risk. One citizen posted on the Pilot’s comment board…
“I've watched them flying at no more than 800 ft altitude at minimum airspeed with half flaps, over residential areas. If I had done that, I'd have lost my license. Flying low and slow, on the verge of stalling, over urban areas for hours at a time was an accident waiting to happen.”
Another citizen stated…
“When you look across the country, state after state has tried using aircraft to patrol for speeders, and time and again they've dropped the program because it wasn't as cost effective as having a few more patrol cars out there. With the cost for gas continuing to go up, the situation only gets worse. It should be no surprise that this is happening.”
There’s talk the program could be resuscitated when the economy rebounds, but there's a chance it could lead to an increase in car accidents in Virginia (VA) since the threat of aerial monitoring is longer around.
Source
The major drawback of the program is, obviously, cost. It’s expensive to obtain a plane, pay for manpower capable of flying the aircraft and properly monitor traffic conditions, pay for fuel, etc.
A drawback not regularly mentioned is the potential safety risk. One citizen posted on the Pilot’s comment board…
“I've watched them flying at no more than 800 ft altitude at minimum airspeed with half flaps, over residential areas. If I had done that, I'd have lost my license. Flying low and slow, on the verge of stalling, over urban areas for hours at a time was an accident waiting to happen.”
Another citizen stated…
“When you look across the country, state after state has tried using aircraft to patrol for speeders, and time and again they've dropped the program because it wasn't as cost effective as having a few more patrol cars out there. With the cost for gas continuing to go up, the situation only gets worse. It should be no surprise that this is happening.”
There’s talk the program could be resuscitated when the economy rebounds, but there's a chance it could lead to an increase in car accidents in Virginia (VA) since the threat of aerial monitoring is longer around.
Source
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