Letter of the Day: NCDOT wasting precious time studying deadly intersection

The N.C. Department of Transportation is lucky no one else has lost their life at the deadly intersection at U.S. Highway 70 and Triplett Road. It’s taken nearly two months for DOT to make a decision on a red light, and three lives were lost there in less than two weeks.

The first, Mike Dishman, who was in his 50s, who lost his life because of the new road. Looking back and reading the past newspapers, his family said they need a light up there, but DOT didn’t listen. So the new road took the lives of a grandma, Cathy Tolbert, in her 50s, and the life of our step-granddaughter, Casey, who was 3.

There are no “what ifs” about it. There needs to be a light there to save someone else’s life. And if one had been there Oct. 20, we might not be having to spend Christmas without Casey, and her grandpa would still have his wife for Christmas.Our hearts are still breaking inside for a little girl who just last year was throwing Christmas balls off my tree and laughing about it. Only this year the balls still hang in place. But if one falls off, I think it’s Casey doing it and playing her little game with me.

So many families are grieving this Christmas for their loved one because of a new road the state had to make and didn’t have sense enough to put a light where it was needed.

So now we wait again for the DOT’s final decision that should have been done long before now. But we’re praying for the right one to be made. Maybe this Christmas we can’t give Casey any presents for her to open, but we can give her a red light with the Christmas colors — red, yellow and green. I think she would like that.

And name it after her. After all, she lost her life because of this new road. And I’m sure she would be smiling down from heaven knowing she may save someone else’s life, even though she never got to live to see another Christmas.

I told her when we were at the grave site we’re going to get her a red light, I promise. It won’t bring Casey back, but it will save someone else.

I just hope DOT says yes to a red light. I want to be there when they put it up. For God only knows how much our hearts are breaking this holiday season.

Margie Teaster
Woodleaf