Sad Day

This story broke my heart. I do not know the family but my heart goes out to them.

Dad and daughter, 5, killed in crosswalk near kindergarten

By Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 05/22/2007 06:36:39 AM MDT

Don Ostler just wanted to get his 5-year-old daughter, Gwyndalyn, to afternoon kindergarten safely.
The pair were in a crosswalk to cross 1300 East near 5300 South in Murray Monday and had nearly reached the opposite curb when they were struck by a southbound car about 12:30 p.m., said police Detective Kenny Bass.
The impact of the crash threw both Ostlers several feet. Paramedics worked to revive the pair but were unsuccessful, Bass said. The 29-year-old man and daughter were pronounced dead at the scene.
The girl's grandmother, Nancy Ostler, told KSL Channel 5 News that the girl was about to turn 6 and already knew she wanted to be a doctor.
"If my granddaughter had to go to heaven, I'm glad it was my son that would take her," Nancy Ostler said. "My son did not have to die today. My tiny grandbaby did not have to die today."
The driver of the car, whom Bass said was an 86-year-old man, has been questioned by police.
Witnesses told police the car rolled right through the crosswalk where the Ostlers were walking, Bass said.
"The witnesses weren't indicating anything about speed," Bass said.
Nancy Ostler told KSL she had reviewed police reports, which made it appear as though the elderly man was not fit to be driving. "I have worked with the elderly before," Ostler said. "There's a time you need to say, 'I just can't be on the road.' "
Initial testing did not reveal the presence of drugs or alcohol on the driver, said the detective, but the case will be reviewed with prosecutors for possible charges.
mwestley@sltrib.com

It is a sad state of affairs that we rely so heavily on our vehicles to get us around. While everyone will be blaming the 86 year old man for driving when he obviously shouldn’t be (and he is to blame), no one will mention that without a drivers license he is a prisoner in his own home. We have set up our society so that those who do not or cannot drive are punished to use our substandard transit system or be stranded in their homes. Our houses are far from shopping, eating establishments, post offices and gathering places.

As medicine continues to advance more people will be driving at older ages then ever before. There will be an increase in these horrific unnecessary slaughters. We need to change how we build our cities, prioritizing people over cars.

We need to build cities where senior citizens are able to walk or easily ride transit to get to the doctors or stores.

We need to build cities where a father can safely walk his daughter home from school without dying.