Most of you have probably heard now about the accident on First Avenue that occurred late Sunday / early Monday. You've also probably heard how the car skidded more than a city block, hit a lightpole, and a tree. What you might not have heard in the initial reports (what the Gazette wrote in their Monday edition) was that the car also hit two pedestrians.
Later, the reports did indicate that the car hit two pedestrians -- one Abby Bowman and a friend... and Abby didn't make it. I was very saddened by this... Abby sat in front of me during math class my senior year. I didn't know her particularly well, but she was always smiling, always in a good mood, and was a very pretty girl.
It's a rotten shame that the driver of this car didn't take proper care and happened to hit two people simply walking across the street. Things happen in life that don't always make sense, and this is no exception... how does a car driving 25 MPH surprise someone walking across the street badly enough to kill them? The speed limit is 25 at that particular point on First Avenue. I'm a bit confused by why Abby died, but things like this do unfortunately happen, so I wasn't particularly enraged about it... just sad and upset.
Talking to my dad this morning, my view drastically changed. He has several friends on the police force, and he had heard the complete events of what occurred.
The car driving down First Avenue was traveling at speeds between 80 and 100 MPH. Abby probably didn't even see the car when she went to cross the street. She was struck with such force that her body was split in two and her upper torso struck the windshield of the car, causing the driver to lose control, skid for a block, and then hit a light pole and then the tree.
This was not an accident. This was a man with an utter disregard for the safety of his fellow human beings, and is guilty -- in my humble opinion -- of Second Degree Murder. I am just so sickened I don't know where to begin. Had this man followed the rules and regulations of traffic... Abby would've been struck at worse by a car traveling 25 MPH, and would be injured, but most likely not dead. At 25 MPH, swerving would've been possible, and Abby also probably would've seen the car coming and never would've walked out in the first place.
I am the first to admit that I'm not always the most... emotional person. We've had a few deaths regarding Wash students, Wash grads, and other area schools... but they have almost always been at the result of poor decision making... and while sad, were not entirely unavoidable.
This is not such an example. This is a girl who was doing nothing more than cross a street, and was sadly taken from us before her time.
Rest in peace, Abby.
