Letters to the Editor

Please don't forget what happened Oct. 2, 2009

To the Editor:

This is one of stories many may have read and forgotten because they weren't personally involved. Early in the evening Oct. 2, 2009 two misguided missiles from Sullivan flew threw western Greene County for a little over a half hour until one inevitably slammed into a mini-van with three adults and two small children.

The horrific crash instantly took the lives of two adults and left the other three occupants of the mini-van air-lifted to hospitals in Indianapolis. The occupants of one of these deadly missiles notified authorities by dialing 911 on their cell phone shortly after their launch into a high speed pursuit and the 911 operator followed the chase by phone for over 30 minutes. The story in The Greene County Daily World did not mention whether or not discouraging cat-and-mouse pursuits was the standard operating procedure given to all 911 operators.

Meanwhile, Violet Bovenschen Newton is trying to recover from multiple injuries while she thinks about her 71-year-old husband, to whom she had been married for over 50 years, and her 45-year-old daughter, who both lost their lives instantly because an inebriated young man from Sullivan, who had stolen gas in Jasonville, was being chased at high speed by a Good Samaritan who did so completely voluntary.

Nothing has been said about any friendly or forceful persuasion to this Good Samaritan to immediately give up this high speed chase during the 30 some minutes it was monitored by the 911 operator.

Call me crazy, but I think this division of the sheriff's department should be there to serve and protect the citizens of this county. I further believe that, if the standard operating procedure given to 911 operators is to simply "monitor" cat-and-mouse pursuits by ordinary citizens, the procedures should be re-evaluated and changed. Vehicles can be lethal weapons in the hands of citizens in pursuit of one another (even at posted speed limits). They do not have the authority, emergency equipment or expertise for such situations. Furthermore, they are doing this while concentrating on a cell phone conversation!

I pray for Violet and her grandchildren and hope the people who run the 911 system will re-think their SOP in these circumstances. It should not be forgotten as "stuff happens" and place the entire blame on the guy whose license had been suspended six times who rammed his truck into the side of the unsuspecting Newtons.

Next chapter: How many times must we suspend someone's license for driving illegally before we just keep them in jail? If progressively stiffer incarceration sentences are not possible, you might as well just give him a bottle of whiskey and a loaded gun when you release him. Because chances are far greater that he's going to kill somebody before his liver kills him.

Robert Bennett

Linton

Thank you from

McKee family

To the Editor:

Thank you from Rosemary McKee's daughters.

Thank you to everyone who shared in the celebration of Rosemary's life. We greatly appreciated the kind words, hugs and beautiful flowers.

Connie Helton

Lebanon, Ohio

Bobbie Adams

Chicago, Ill.