In response to last week’s horrific accident on Route 44 in Avon, State Senators Thomas J. Herlihy, R-Simsbury, and Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, today are officially calling for the creation of an Avon Mountain Accident Task Force. In a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Stephen Korta, the senators said that safety concerns in this area must be addressed immediately and that the creation of such a commission would allow for safety measures to be put in place until the legislature reconvenes next February.
In their letter the senators said; “Seeing that the legislature does not reconvene until February 2006, it is probable that any safety restrictions placed on Route 44 in the area of the accident will not go into effect until October 2006. This cannot happen, we cannot wait to improve the safety of this region.”
According to Sen. Herlihy, the newly formed Avon Mountain Accident Task Force would be appointed by the DOT and charged with making recommendations to immediately improve the motor vehicle safety along Route 44. “There are a number of safety concerns that need to be explored,” said Sen. Herlihy. “Whether it’s banning trucks of a certain size from certain roads, or constructing safety ramps along steep inclines to prevent runaway vehicles, this new commission will have the authority to make immediate safety improvements until the legislature comes back into session.”
"We must act immediately to ensure that Avon Mountain is as safe as possible,” said Sen. Harris. “The Avon Mountain Accident Task Force will put local stakeholders, people with every day knowledge of Route 44 road and safety conditions, together with experts, to identify immediate solutions to protect our family, friends and neighbors."
Both legislators said they would continue to work together to make sure all aspects of the accident are reviewed and safety improvements implemented to prevent such tragedy from ever occurring again. |
