There Was a Girl

There was this girl... She used to study at HPU and some of her classes were at the Kaneohe campus. She used to be an honor student and she was engaged in extracurricular activities. Truth be told, she was pretty as well. Going to and back home from school, she crossed Kamehameha highway, a crosswalk over three lanes and with no red lights. Yesterday, it was the last thing she did. It was a hit-and-run. She was declared dead at the hospital not long after the accident.

Her name was Mariah Lynn Danforth Moore and her death shook all the students at HPU; not only because of her tragic death but because we all know that it could have been anyone of us. We all had to cross that Highway every day and we all worried about it, Mariah was just the unlucky one.

HPU has asked for crossing lights but officials have denied it since "there are not enough pedestrians to warrant one." Furthermore, it is not considered a problem area unless at least five accidents happen within a 12 month period.

Things like these are the reasons why I periodically don't read newspapers. It makes me sad and a feeling of hopelessness takes over my mind. Kamehameha highway has three lanes in one direction. Common sense should be enough to realize that it is unsafe. Apparently, even the death of a young woman isn't enough.

Location:Kihei