LETTER: Maple Ridge resident said Abernathy intersection a tragedy waiting to happen

Dear Editor,

Re: [Girl, 14, killed after being hit by dump truck in Burnaby: police, mapleridgenews.com, May X]

I would hope the powers to be are paying attention to what happened in Burnaby recently when a 14-year-old was struck and killed by a dump truck.

I can tell you right now that it is only a matter of time before we have a similar accident at one of the Abernathy Way intersections.

The cars and trucks are constantly speeding through the intersections, running red lights. I can hear tires screeching from vehicles slamming on their brakes at 230th Street and Abernathy, because they underestimated the lights turning yellow or red for that matter.

The pedestrian traffic going to and from the schools south of Abernathy is constant whether or not it is a school day or the weekend with kids using the different playgrounds and sport fields.

I recall speaking up almost 30 years ago when some genius decided all kids attending Harry Hooge school, (two blocks south of Abernathy on 230tj) and lived north of Abernathy would have to attend the new/rebuilt Yennadon school.

It was a very hazardous walk at any given time of the day, and thankfully someone listened to the parents and community’s outcry and scrapped the idea.

I would hope that with this road widening project safety to the public is the number one priority, because the kids have to have a safe route to and from their destination whether it be education or recreation.

Scott Amesbury, Maple Ridge

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• READ MORE: Security footage shows dog scared Burnaby teen before fatal dump truck collision

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