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My friend,
GB Miller was almost hit crossing a road as a pedestrian this week. It was a very close call. It has happened to me numerous times, especially at intersections with "right on red" auto turns during the "pedestrian walk light" time.
So many crossings are poorly designed for pedestrian visibility. Drivers seem to have forgotten that pedestrians always have the right of way, by law.
.................................
February 22, 2026 my area experienced a blizzard. We got about 30 inches here. There was a driving ban for days and nothing melted for over 2 weeks due to sub-freezing, cold temperatures. Clean-up took a very long time. Many town and state sidewalks went unshoveled with feet of snowbanks on them.
I have been a pedestrian for about 14 years now. It was difficult getting errands done and getting to work even after the buses got running again.
The Saturday bus driver would not let me out near work and expected me to walk in the highway, no bike lane clear, with my back to the traffic to get to my work building.
Once was enough to scare the hell out of me so bad, that I called out the following Saturday.
This winter an older girl about my age I knew (from local bus rides) got run over and killed while using her walker, and her boyfriend walking with her got hit also, and had to watch.
The snow banks were high, there were no sidewalks done on the State road, Route 28, and it was dark early (during daylight savings).
The driver(s) claimed he couldn't avoid them, but he was obviously driving too fast for road conditions.
I knew this boyfriend guy's little brother, grew up partying with him as a teen before I moved here. I was also in sculpture/art college with his brother, my friend, in my 30's.
Their family moved from the city I started in, here to the same spot I moved to as an adult. They were well respected business owners in my town for decades.
An older man, who had the perfect relationship with his woman, got it all ripped away in an instant due to being a pedestrian. For years everyone watched him aid her in getting errands done, and getting on and off the buses with her walker.
I often thought that they were so lucky to have each other at this senior time in their lives. We chatted on the bus rides often. I found out he was the older brother of my old friend, and we had so much in common.
Now this poor, angry survivor is on a mission to sue everyone involved in his current predicament. I am certain he will get millions in damages, but really, he just wants his love back.
I feel so devastated for him. He was robbed.
As we all know, the price of having someone to love is a steep one when losing them. We all must go at some point, but the more sudden it is, the more devastation is felt.
You can be as careful as possible as a pedestrian, and still be in mortal danger each time you go out the door. You can't control how careful others will be with your life. How others will choose to drive.
You can only choose how careful you are with other's lives.
Walk and drive with care.
RIP Rose
