Life Changing, in Contrast to Life Ending

It was 1995 at the end of a long workday, and Becky Porter was driving home. She lived in
Taylorsville, Utah near 5400 South and 2200 West. Heading South, she approached the busy intersection
and stopped at her red light. She noticed a motorcyclist in the intersection, waiting to complete his left
turn.
The light turned yellow and a car that was in the left lane headed westbound on 5400 South came
to a stop. At that point, the motorcyclist began to proceed forward to complete his left-hand turn since the
light was in the process of turning red.
“Almost out of nowhere, a pickup truck pulling a flatbed trailer with wood pallets on it, came
barreling through the intersection,” in the rightmost lane of 5400 South, running the red light (Porter).
And as he entered the middle of the intersection, he hit the man on the motorcycle who was completing
his turn. This sent the motorcyclist flying over Becky’s car - headfirst into the gutter. He was not wearing
any protective clothing. He was not wearing a helmet.
Not believing what she saw, Becky noticed, “There were wood pallets in the road that had flown
off the truck’s flatbed trailer, and the motorcyclist lay in the gutter bleeding. It was a very surreal
experience”(Porter).
In 1995 there weren’t smart phones to be distracted with, there were simple analogue phones. It
would be years later that cell phones could text and take pictures. Precinct Chief Justin Hoyal, who’s been
in the Unified Police Department since 1997, explained that there has been an increase in red lights being
run due to distractions with cell phones. “Even cars with built-in screens are a problem”(Hoyal). People
should focus on traffic lights, not the light coming from phone screens.
So what could this accident have started with? It was possible that the truck driver was fidgeting
with the radio, or even gunning it because he thought he could make the yellow light. Hoyal explained the
far too common excuse is that the light always seems yellow, “when in reality it could be red before you
pass the curbline”(Hoyal).
Minutes after the accident, the driver of the truck got out and leaning against its side, “pulled out
and lit a cigarette,” seemingly unphased by the carnage that lay before him (Porter). By the time the life
flight helicopter came, the man had already passed away.
In efforts to reduce red lights being run, leaders in Hamilton, Canada have placed “Red Light
Cameras” at a few intersections. “When a new camera goes in, the city tends to see a spike in violations,
said Field. But that statistic tends to drop as people get used to it being there”(Taekema). Around the
United States this practice is being tested, in efforts of making roads safer. However, there are not any
cameras in place in Utah, because the legislature wants officers to approve each ticket that is given based
on eye witness. It’s a question of potentially saving citizens a few court cases or potentially saving the
lives of citizens.
After the accident, insurance companies contacted Becky throughout the next few years to hear
what she saw. She made it clear that the man in the pickup truck had run the red light. She found out that
the truck driver was suing the motorcyclist’s family for “emotional pain and suffering.” How was this
justice? Not only does that family have to deal with loss of a loved one, but also have to deal with an
extra financial burden?
A year later Becky was hit at the exact same intersection, once again because someone ran a red
light. She was halfway through the intersection when she was T-boned. The experience was a similar
situation to the motorcyclist - the person in the other car thought they could make the yellow light.
Thankfully it was nothing in comparison to the motorcyclist and pickup truck accident, but it could’ve
been prevented.
Twenty-five years after the motorcycle incident, the image hasn’t left Becky’s mind. It’s a sad
reality to realize that that wasn’t the only accident like that. Looking at statistics released by the AAA
Traffic Safety Foundation, there has been an increase of red light accidents since 1995. “More than two
people are killed every day on US roads by impatient and reckless drivers blowing through red
lights”(AAA). Becky witnessed one of these deaths.
The life ending moment for the motorcyclist was a life changing moment for Becky. She makes
sure that she doesn’t run red lights and that she is aware of others on the road, since they aren’t always
aware of her.