Summertime is here, school is out, and some folks feel the "need for speed," racing on our streets.
It is so sad that a young man lost his life in a street race on Victoria Avenue on June 20. He did not think it would be his last day alive when engaging in a race with a Corvette. Apparently he could not stop in time for a red light at Avocet Drive and crashed into an SUV, dying later that night at the hospital. I wish to extend my condolences to his family at this sad time.
My husband and I live within earshot of the crash scene, and Victoria Avenue between Moon Drive and Telephone Road seems to bring out the speed racer in many people. I hear it at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes I hear the crashes too, and I say a little prayer for whoever was injured in such a dangerous act of thrill-seeking.
I wonder if our community can utilize the Volunteers in Policing to set up frequent monitoring -- perhaps with camcorders -- and immediate reporting to the Ventura Police Department, which can then begin to arrest those who engage in this dangerous practice before anyone else loses their life.
As a facilitator of First Offender DUI classes in Santa Barbara, I let the students know how severe Santa Barbara courts deal out legal, financial and criminal consequences for those who drink and get behind the wheel to drive. I do not know whether alcohol played a part in this fatal accident, but I do know that even small amounts of alcohol can reduce judgment, reasoning and the ability to resist such a challenge on our streets.
Let's send a message that we care about all our community members and use the Volunteers in Policing to hold the speeders accountable and keep our streets safe for all.
It is my hope that no other drivers need lose their life to a street race on Victoria Avenue or in our community as a whole.
-- Anne Bauman-Chavez, Ventura