Mark LaFlamme’s column (June 10) about the little speed demons brought me to tears. My heart stopped when he spoke of the child hit by a car. My mind raced when he wondered if he should have reported that speeding little red car with the music blasting.

I, too, searched my psyche for the reasoning behind wanting to report the clueless, reckless teens. I, too, would have felt the remorse had the child on the bike been seriously injured. And, like him, wondered if the little red car of his story had been the car that had done the damage, how to cope with the decision not to report what was seen?

How do we, as a community, respond to these situations?

Haven’t most adults, at one time or another, witnessed something similar, and been faced with this quandary? No one wants to get the kids in trouble. We know how it is to be young. Many of us understand the reckless abandon that comes with the end of the school year.

So, we need to remind our kids regularly to be safe and courteous on the road. And, if they forget, a stern warning from the law may open their eyes, if only for a day, and one, two or more lives may be saved.

Let’s all take this opportunity to let kids know we care. We want them safe. We want them to arrive at their destinations. We wish them a long and happy life.

Nancy E. Peterson, Leeds

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