Troubling events

By Published by The Editorial Board

Published: May 28, 2008

One Rockingham County resident died over the holiday weekend and another was seriously hurt in separate incidents that should never have happened.
On Sunday, police said, a Reidsville woman lost her leg trying to board a moving train. A witness said a man dropped her off, and she staggered before attempting to get on the train, which rolled over her left leg. And on Saturday, an Eden man fell from the trunk of a moving car, striking his head on the pavement. He later died in a hospital, and the driver, who is only 18, was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle. The man who died was 49.
We are praying for those involved and their families, but what’s especially sad is these events could have been prevented. Why someone would try to board a moving train or ride on the hood of a moving car is beyond reasonable comprehension. But what is more troubling is that someone drove the woman to the train crossing. Should he not bear some responsibility in the incident? The man who was driving the car in Eden should have known better than to allow someone to ride on the trunk, but he has been charged and will carry the death with him for the rest of his life.
We hear of such things and can only shake our heads, asking ourselves why? But no answer is forthcoming.
Trespassing on railroad property is illegal, as is riding on the trunk of a moving car. Governments have made a habit of enacting laws that protect us from ourselves – laws that deal with fighting obesity, “protecting” us in our cars and in our homes, and regulating everything from tobacco to children’s toys.
There is no law, however, that will effectively inject a dose of common sense into all Americans. Lawmakers on all levels should take note.