Consider the Facts of Fatal Accident

* I am writing this letter to clear up some facts regarding the traffic accident that took the life of Travis Peterson at the crosswalk joining the Arroyo Simi Bike Path on Erringer Road.

To those insensitive people who have voiced their opinion that it was Travis’ fault (and especially to the person who stopped by the memorial set up at the bridge on Erringer Road to write a horrible note to Travis’ mother, indicating that it was her fault): The police officers, firefighters and paramedics at the scene of the accident and the doctors at Simi Valley Hospital who worked diligently to save Travis’ life have all confirmed that there is not a helmet in the world that would have saved him due to the speed at which he was hit and the fracture at his brain stem.

The laws governing crosswalks are such that if there are people at the crosswalk who want to cross, the cars must stop. Three lanes of traffic had stopped to allow these children to cross. And, not only did the driver of the car that hit Travis not stop, she went through the crosswalk at 40 miles per hour, leaving skid marks on the other side of the crosswalk.

All of the newspaper reports state that Travis was riding his bike across the street. According to one witness who was crossing the street at the same time, Travis was on his bike, but was traveling at walking speed. He did not dart out in traffic; he waited for the traffic to stop before proceeding. When the three lanes of traffic had stopped, he and the others at the crosswalk proceeded into the crosswalk.

While all of this won’t change anything, I’d like you all to consider the points above before saying to a mother who is grieving the loss of her son, that it was her fault or her son’s fault that he is no longer with her.

PAM FERGUSON

Simi Valley