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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Traffic help was needed

Regarding the Dec. 5 letter of Enid Phillips Ruttan, “Re-read driver’s manual”: A four-way traffic stop only works up to a point. In the first days following the recent windstorm, most of the busiest intersections along Division Street were without traffic lights or streetlights at night, with up to eight-lanes of traffic intersecting.

No other city in America would have expected hundreds of drivers to navigate such conditions without any traffic control by police. Local TV news reported that Spokane police were surprised at the 175 reported accidents in the first four days following the windstorm.

Why surprised? Those dark intersections were chaos. I’m only glad that nobody was killed. Spokane police misjudged where their resources were needed most during the power outage. The safety of Spokane drivers should have been a priority.

Jennifer Wilson

Spokane

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