On Tuesday evening, October 23, 2018, three linemen, all working to restore electrical power to Washington County, Florida following Hurricane Michael, were hit and killed by a motorist on Hwy 77 in Wausau, Florida.
On Tuesday morning, October 23, 2018 at Hwy 90 and New Prospect Road in Chipley another man was killed and a second left in critical condition in a vehicle accident.
There are other examples of recent tragedy, and my heart goes out to our community as we mourn these senseless deaths and injuries.
In Town Hall Meetings and other assemblies we congratulate ourselves on working together, holding hands and helping our neighbors, but sometimes we fail to see the bigger picture, which is Public Safety.
The Move Over, Florida! law requires you to move over a lane, when you can safely do so, for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles and tow trucks or wreckers. If you can’t move over, or when on a two-lane road, you should slow to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.
Times of emergency sometimes spur us to live and conduct ourselves differently than in normal times, but there will be no more important a time for us to show caution in all that we do than right now, in the lee of the damage done by Hurricane Michael.
Our extended community is actually in a lot better condition than many of those around us, but we need to be mindful of not just the law, but also of common sense.
Trees and debris are piled everywhere, and when you come to an intersection, there will not always be good visibility in both directions. Go slow, be careful, and arrive alive.
There will increased utility vehicle traffic, including our power linemen, utility workers and public safety first responders, as well as debris removal equipment on the roads for the next several months in our region. Please pay attention.
I am proud to represent Chipley, Florida and our region, and I love our citizens and our resources. Please be careful as we work through the balance of this crisis.
