I was saddened to read about the number of accidents and a death as a result of the storm April 5 during the time so many people were dutifully driving to work.

It appeared that most towns and the state were unprepared for this storm given that there were no sand and snowplows out until about an hour after the storm appeared. Yet this storm was well forecasted and came right as scheduled.

The responsibility of government is to protect its citizens and provide for their collective and personal safety. These accidents could have been prevented if the towns and the state responded in a proactive way to the traffic conditions.

One town official responded in a defensive posture by saying it is the individual’s responsibility to make the decision to drive during inclement weather. Yet, we pay taxes for the very purpose of having roads maintained in a safe and responsible way to prevent such needless deaths and accidents.

If one plane skids off the Portland airport runway, fleets of federal investigators take weeks to analyze the accident. Our local and state government bear shame and responsibility for many of these accidents, and I hope that just one official might read this and renew their commitment to public safety.
William Shuttleworth,

superintendent, SAD 39, Buckfield

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