To the editor:

I read this morning a published account that said “for reasons unknown, the Jeep turned left onto northbound SR 305.” I was one of the people who came upon this horrific accident, and have the short answer: Because he thought he could make it.

And to put it even more simply, the north end of 305 is a deathtrap.

For years, I’ve observed drivers struggling to get out on the highway. I’ve seen school buses stuck at some of those intersections. That Jeep was hit broadside, just think for a moment about a school bus. How many people have to die on that highway before we do something?

All of us who have lived here more than a few decades remember a time when you could drive on and off the island with ease. Today, the back-ups start every afternoon with stalled ferry traffic as far as the eye can see. In the meantime, Highway 305 has become one of the most dangerous highways in the state.

I don’t have any easy answers, and am aware it all comes down to money. But what’s the price of another life? Lives were changed forever because that driver took a chance. He thought he could make it. It was a sobering and sad thought as we drove away from the wreck.

TERRY MURPHY

Bainbridge Island