I was made aware of a driver sent to hospital with non-life threatening injuries following a rollover crash on Monday morning. Though the vehicle flipped on its side, the driver made it out relatively unscathed, thanks in no small part to our intrepid team of emergency responders here in Agassiz-Harrison.
The crash occurred in the Mount Woodside area; it’s not the first and I’m relatively certain it will not be the last.
It’s a grim duty to report crashes, injuries and especially deaths that happen along our more precarious local roadways. Rockwell Drive and Highway 7 through Mount Woodside are especially dangerous, as demonstrated by two vehicles sinking into Harrison Lake off Rockwell in the past year and several crashes up on Mount Woodside each year.
While it’s difficult to paint all these crashes with a broad brush as circumstances of vehicle, driver and road can vary, it can’t be denied that at least some of the scary situations that sometimes turn tragic can be avoided.
I’ve been fortunate enough not to be in too many accidents in my life – I can only recall being in a fender-bender or two. I’m not always the best drive and have got myself into some close calls over the years. I take full responsibility for my actions on the road.
I think we all need to acknowledge that driving is a privilege and a responsibility that must be taken seriously. Not only are we responsible for those in the vehicle itself, but we must strive to protect those around our vehicle, be they pedestrians, cyclists or fellow motorists.
Mount Woodside is steeper than it looks, and navigating the curves can be a dangerous prospect if one doesn’t drive at reasonable speeds. It’s tempting to gun it along straight, rural roads, and it’s just as easy to think you can shave off a few seconds along steep curves by going just a little too fast. Think of speed limits less as suggestions or guidelines and more as polite notes to follow in order to preserve your life and the lives of those around you.
I think, by and large, we have some pretty safe drivers in this community. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that during our last severe ice storm, there was very little in terms of crash activity or vehicle distress apart from people being marooned in their driveways thanks to the bad weather. All the same, myself included, we could always use a reminder to be aware of our surroundings and drive just a bit safer than we think we should.
It’s easy to blame someone else’s carelessness when a crash happens, but we’re all “someone else” to someone else. We must all take care on the road to make driving in Agassiz-Harrison as safe as possible.
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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