YOUR COMMENTS

you can judge all you want but two lives were changed that day and their families will be forever changed. no one knows what happenend that night and we may never have all the answers but through God's strength I pray the families will be lifted up instead of torn down by judgement. Nothing will change that one life has been altered and another has ended. My deepest condolences to both families
- lynn, lyndeborough

Mary from Peterborough ignores the possibility of a medical condition which may cause such an incedent.
So far all we know is that there was a fatal accident and that Mary is prone to jumping to conclusions.
- steve, jaffrey

Well put, RP of New Boston.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but they need to put a traffic light there.

I think another issue is a severe lack of safe passing zones. When you get stuck behind someone going 40mph in a 55 mph zone (which happens all the time around here), you tend to get annoyed, which in turn leads to impatience and then, finally, a bad decision. If only people could AT LEAST do the stinkin' speed limit. Not everyone is out for a pleasure cruise. Some of us have to drive a long way to work. DO THE LIMIT!
- Tim K, Jaffrey

May you rest in peace Patrick J. Sanders. You are forever in our thoughts and forever missed. Lauren and Robert, stay strong guys. Your father will always be watching over you, you have a bigger angel.
- Chelsea, Manchester

Actually, the 202/136 intersection is very treacherous. It needs improvement.

Route 202 here is not, as one writer represents, straight.

Route 136 comes in from the east at an odd angle, and cars typically back up here, it is a busy intersection, waiting for 202 traffic to clear in order to pull out.

For a 136 vehicle turning left toward Peterborough, the view south is fairly clear; but looking north toward Hancock, Bennington and Antrim, the curve on 202 makes it difficult to see that 202 is clear in both directions. I've seen it plenty of times, and done it - when it looks like there's the opening and safe you pull out from 136 as fast as you can.

The other problem is that when you're heading north on 202, you come upon the 136 right turn very quickly - the intersection and turn are not well marked by signage, flashing light, etc. Seen that plenty of times; vehicles heading north planning to turn onto 136 and suddenly there - hitting their brakes and making the turn without warning or even a signal.

I can easily see a N/B driver swerving left to avoid a vehicle in front that does something like that.

Don't know what happened in this collision. Do know NHDOT and Peterborough should take a long hard look at what they've got here, and in my opinion should look at an upgrade.

Speaking of guardrails, I do believe there's one right where this Ax happened; on the west side of 202 across from 136. You know, where the spillway on the river is. Correct me if I'm wrong.

A guardrail which would prevent a S/B vehicle from swerving right to avoid a vehicle that had just crossed into the S/B lane.

Any corrections, anyone? Please.
- RP, New Boston

For goodness sake....the spot where this accident happened is not a passing zone, nor is it a turning lane. The driver who caused this crash was well past the turn to the hospital. This was simply a case of someone either not paying attention or trying to pass in an unsafe manner. We don't need guard rails to divide this road for goodness sake........people just need to slow the hell down and pay attention. It really is that simple. he speed limit there is just fine. I think both of these acidents on 202 in the past few weeks were just sad and unfortunate accidents.........they didn't happen because the roads are trecherous.
- mary, Peterborough, NH

Would that things were as simple as the simple would make it.

The idea that only drivers cause accidents is as naive as it is plain not so. The use of "irresponsible" by one poster strikes me as bizarre mindedness - if you add the concept of if things are bad stop driving, bizarre isn't the word.

Consider the sink hole that formed on I-89 awhile back. Or the tree that blows over onto or right in front of a vehicle. Or the moose that looms out of nowhere and is virtually invisible. Or the thousands who have spent the day at work and when the light grease falls on the commute home the highway suddenly (as I-93, esp. around Concord, but it could be anywhere, is notoriously famous) is an ice/glaze rink. Any roadway.

Or is the idea that all drivers should then just park and walk; otherewise irresponsible? The correct answer is if it is impossible to drive, it is. But in the real world the answer to that may be something else.

Even when you try to adjust, the circumstances can get beyond human action as the primary cause of an accident. The fact is there as many potential causes as there are drivers and feet of roadway covered - you can't paint everything black and white because gray is the dominant factual color.

Consider confronting blinding lights, coming around a curve of a dark night. Consider the vehicle that is out of control and slams into you, whether you're a state rep or not.

Shall I go on? Nope, no need - that would be simply...

Suffice that over-hypothetical-analysis of this or any other accident is not going to stop accidents - human cause or not. Best any accident can do, after the fact, is remind us all to watch out and don't get complacent.

So I'll be responsible and leave it at that. Oh, and please drive safely.
- RP, New Boston

Brian from Farmington has it right!

No need to blame bad roads, weather, etc. If it is too dangerous for you to handle a particular stretch of road on any given day, you should not drive. If you do, you are no different than any other "impaired" driver on the road, completely irresponsible.

Beyond that, people need to pay attention and stay alert, take driving seriously!

Lets all be safe, very few car crashes are "accidents", most are preventable.
- Chris, Keene

Constantine, how do you propose you plow these roads with a median guardrail?
- Chris, Rindge, NH

The same way you plow a road without one. Keep to the right.
Maybe, Patrick had a Medical Emergency.
Has anyone thought of that? Oh, no, let's just point fingers.
- Paul, Manchester

Accidents are cause by drivers, not roads. Inattention, following too closely and driving too fast for conditions. That's about it. I've seen idiots pass on a double solid yellow line. run through red lights, run through stop signs, do 60 in a 35 mph zone, and people wonder why there are so many accidents. Its really not that tough to figure out.
- Brian, Farmington

I drive this road every day and this morning I saw exactly where the accident occurred. There is no longer a passing zone in this stretch of road (it was eliminated when Parmelee Drive was opened a couple of weeks ago). As long as drivers are obeying the rules and driving in control, there is no reason for an accident here. In fact, the new access from 202 to Monadnock Community Hospital actually makes this stretch safer by providing a turning lane on a straight section of road. Previously all traffic on the north side of the Hospital used the Old Street Road/136/202 intersection, which as locals know, was very busy and dangerous. My thoughts are with both families.
- Bob, Hillsborough

Constantine, how do you propose you plow these roads with a median guardrail? The roundabouts that we put in were due to heavy traffic flow in these areas and in peterborough's case it was due to the addition of a long over due shopping plaza. People automatically go to the driver distraction theory when accidents occur. Maybe this was just that, a terrible accident. My thoughts go out the the two families.
- Chris, Rindge, NH

Maybe there are valid things being said here; although there are no perfect answers. A slowly driven vehicle, for instance, can cause accidents on the highway; the driver blissfully oblivious to his or her contribution.

What is the real point to be derived from this? May I respectfully offer that sometime before 6:55 yesterday two drivers got on Route 202; one not knowing this was the last day and minutes of his life and the other, innocently going her way, having no idea of the pain she was going to encounter and that she was soon going to be in the hospital badly hurt.

If this happened, as I take it, at the intersection with 136, well I've yet to see a center guardrail that goes across an intersection. Anyone care to correct that?

Do know of an irrelevant theory about better highways, as good as or better than those offered here - that if everyone would drive as if in the next moment something is going to go terribly wrong there would be fewer accidents and the wrenching results. But you know that defies human nature and the one who follows the theory needs everyone else to follow it, every second, or it still couldn't be fail-safe. Same thing if this theory was expanded from the highways and applied to life in general.

Bottom line and the important point, so far missed: Ms. Brooks, we are very sorry and sad this has happened to you and hope, for you, that you find a full and complete recovery; that your life will soon be as it was; and that you have many happinesses to come. Until then, you do not suffer alone. May you get well and be well.
- RP, New Boston

Pamela: the speed limit is 40 along that stretch. And 40 is reasonable for the conditions and traffic levels.

Based on the currently sketchy data that I can see, it appears someone just got into a hurry and tried to pass a vehicle making a right turn, and did not notice oncoming traffic.
- Peter, Jaffrey

The location of this accident is not considered a dangerous part of 202, as it's fairly straight. However, it's also where they just opened the new entrance to the hospital, so there is more people stopping and turning than before. The Peterboro paper today said a witness said it looked like the person was trying to pass (there is a passing zone right before the new hospital entrance) and that it when the accident apparently happened. My thoughts and prayers to the family of both people involved.
- Karen, Peterborough

Maybe it's time for the state to do the same thing they have done on Rt 202/9 aka Death Alley in Hopkinton , Henniker and Hillsboro. Just put in a rumble strip on both shoulders and the entire length of the road on the center line. Don't do like they did on rt 101 East of rt 114 where they only did it in no passing zones but rather do it for the entire length of the road in both the no passing and passing zones. The claim is that accidents have dramatically fallen off because it warns drivers they are drifting over the center line. If it works so well on Death Alley then it should work fine on Rt 202 where several deadly accidents have happened.
- Don Armstrong, Henniker

It's well past time for people to wake up and drive. Do your reading, texting, calling, sleeping and primping in the parking lot.

There are no excuses.
- Herb C., Concord

How many more lives need to be lost on 202/9 to inspire the state to build a median guard rail? I see many towns and the state paving roads that don't need to be paved, putting in roundabouts needlessly. How about instead of spending that money on pork,use it to save lives by building a median guard rail on 202/9.
- Constantine Brocoum, Hopkinton,NH

Such a horrific accident. My heart and prayers go out to the people involved. WMUR has released the names of the drivers.
- Janice, Peterborough

I believe it is the speed limit. everry where you turn they want the roads wider and faster. case in point route 12 in walpole. dont widen it. slow the speed down, monitor the speeders, 'smell the flowers'; I drive slower, and stay on the right, smiling at those whizzing by, encouraging them to slow down and smile. hopefully.....
- pamela kirkwood, springfield, vt