Mother makes plea from the heart on moose to minister

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am Crystal Adams. My daughter Denika was killed in a moose/vehicle accident on April 29, 2010 by the Avondale overpass.

Denika was just 18 years of age and two weeks shy of her Grade 12 grad. Denika was a well-loved young lady, not only by her peers but by everyone that met her. Denika had so many dreams that she wanted to fulfil, but her life ended way too early because of a moose that had been on the highway for a period of two or three nights. It was bad enough to lose my daughter, but it is worse to find out that the accident could have been avoided if something had been done to get these nuisance moose off the highway. 

What I am writing about now is the fear that I now have of driving on our highways once the sun goes down.

Whenever I hear about another moose accident, it brings back all the memories of losing my daughter all over again. I get weak all over, fearing that someone else is going to have to go through what I have in the past 19 months. It’s like it’s all happening all over again. I have another daughter who now has a fear of driving on our highways at night. In this day and age, it is something that we should not have to worry about. I will not drive on our highways or be in a car after the sun goes down.

As for the sensor system that is now installed on the Trans Canada Highway, I feel it is in the wrong area.

I found it quite funny that, travelling west on the TCH about one kilometre west of the sensor system, there is a sign saying moose for the next six kilometres.

Shouldn't the sensor system be put in that area?

The system could be a step in the right direction, but there is not enough information being released on it.

When it was first described, I Googled the system and couldn't find anything about how it worked. I know that the lights will flash for a period of time. But what if the moose stays on the side of the road, and when the lights stop flashing, he decides then to go across the road? Will the lights keep flashing?

Do the lights also flash on the solar panels? If they don’t, how will we know if there is a moose in the road after we pass the warning signs?

How far is the sensor from the ground? What about when we have two or three feet of snow? Will  the sensors be up high enough to still be able to work?

Also, can the sensor pick up a small calf? Or do the moose have to be a certain size?

I feel that it is about time that everyone started working together to come up with a solution to get these massive animals off our highways. I can remember years ago, I would say  to myself “if it’s snowing, Crystal, don’t go.” Now I say “if it is after the sun goes down, Crystal, do not go on our highways.”

The fear of getting into a moose accident is too much for me. In the year 2011, the voters of this province should not be afraid to travel on our highways.

Crystal Adams

Shoal Harbour