In the Monday, March 13th Forum, there is a story on page 6 about a van driving into the ditch on I-94. In the story it is stated, "Snow-covered roads and ice caused a woman from Fargo traveling with eight minors to slide off the interstate...and roll into a ditch."
I am a retired police officer. In my 30 years in that job, I worked hundreds of traffic crashes. I never worked a single one that was caused by ice and/or snow on the road surface. I did work many crashes that were caused by a person operating a motor vehicle driving that vehicle too fast for the existing conditions.
You see, an inanimate object cannot cause a traffic crash, because it is an inanimate object. A human being, not paying attention and/or not driving for conditions, or perhaps disobeying some other rule or law caused the accident in the story, not the condition of the road.
Maurice Brandt lives in Custer, S.D.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
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