A View Royal resident fears for her life every time she goes to bed after a string of vehicle crashes that narrowly missed her home.
A recent council decision, however, has her feeling hopeful things will soon get better.
Over the 23 years Sue-Anne Carter has lived at the corner of Burnside Road West and Eaton Avenue, she can distinctly remember no fewer than seven crashes where cars came to a violent halt no more than a couple metres from the corner of her house where her bedroom is located.
Two of those crashes have happened over the past month, with the latest occurring in the early morning hours of Jan. 14.
”I can’t sleep right now,” said Carter. “I am literally going on hours of sleep since the latest accident. I am sleeping so lightly I am bracing for impact every time somebody drives up the road. It’s terrifying.”
The holly tree at the corner of her property now bears the scars of multiple vehicles crashing into it, and a small pile of broken glass can still be seen at its base from the latest incident. Looking down Burnside from her home, it is clear there is a straight line from the end of the curve in the road to the corner of her property.
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So far, that holly tree and a nearby utility pole have protected her home. But if any car were to follow a path less than a metre to the right, it would slam directly into her bedroom window.
Carter believes a perfect storm of speeders, impaired drivers, a curve in the road leading up to her house - and a lack of traffic enforcement in the area is a sort of “no-man’s land” in between the jurisdictions of the West Shore RCMP and Saanich Police Department - has left her in a situation where even the sound of a revving engine can make her nervous.
Carter feels something is finally going to be done to rectify these safety concerns and allow her to feel safe in her own home once again.
View Royal Coun. Gery Lemon has stepped up to champion Carter’s concerns at town hall and made a motion at the Jan. 17 council meeting directing staff to conduct a traffic safety audit in the area.
It passed unanimously.
“The first thing they are going to do is go take a look, see the situation, and give their professional insight into what to do,” said Lemon. “I think the ask of the residents there is that it be safe and calmer in the area. In 2008, the council of the day commissioned a master transportation plan that included some calming and safety recommendations for that stretch, but they weren’t enacted.”
Carter said she is grateful for the support she is receiving now from council, and from her neighbours over the years, and is looking forward to seeing what will come out of the safety audit. In the meantime, she is exploring having a large landscaping boulder installed in her front yard to provide some extra protection the next time a crash occurs.
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@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
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