Tragic consequences of running red light

Each year, hundreds of people are needlessly killed and thousands more injured by red-light runners. Too often, these motorists’ reckless disregard for a simple law goes unpunished, allowing the offenders to break more laws and put more lives at risk. We know firsthand the pain of losing a loved one to such a preventable act. On Jan. 26, we marked the 10-year anniversary of our daughter Sarah’s death at the hands of a red-light runner.

In 2002, a 21-year-old man ran a red light, broadsiding Sarah’s car at 55 mph. She was only 31 years old when she died — a talented high school science teacher with two beautiful children and a bright future. That all ended in a split second.

Crashes like this happen every day, but they don’t need to. Traffic safety cameras provide consistent, efficient enforcement of our traffic safety laws, deterring red-light running and preventing tragedies like the one that took Sarah from our family. We hope that by sharing our story, crashes like this will become a thing of the past. There’s no reason another family should have to endure the loss of a son, daughter or parent to someone who refuses to obey the law.

Paul and Sue Oberhauser

Co-Chairs

Traffic Safety Coalition

Somerset, Ohio