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Relatives of crash victims urge Monroe council to press state for Highway 2 safety upgrades
Summary
Family members and community witnesses urged the Monroe City Council to push for safety upgrades on Highway 2 after a deadly April head-on crash; council members said they will continue lobbying state and federal officials and explore regional coordination with neighboring cities.
Family members and residents asked the Monroe City Council at a special meeting to press state and regional leaders for safety improvements on Highway 2 following an April fatal head-on crash.
"Something needs to change to make Highway 2 safer," Britney Leeper said as she read a statement on behalf of her aunt, Kathleen Cody, and other relatives of the victims. Leeper described an April 18 crash near Sophie Road on Highway 2 that killed Dylan and Mary Anne, leaving their 4½-year-old son Corey without his parents.
Leah Pizzetti, who said she was at the crash scene, urged the council to form a coalition of local cities along Highway 2 to present unified demands to state leaders and to explore engineering fixes such as lighting, median barriers or additional lanes. "One concerned community member, one grieving family, one mayor may not be able to do it alone," Pizzetti said.
Council members responded with sympathy and pledged to keep advocating. "So just know that we are with you. We're not giving up," Council Member Hanford said. Council Member Walker echoed that the council will seek regional coordination and leverage county and state contacts. Council Member Fisher said the council raises every fatality on Highway 2 and will press for improvements until the state prioritizes them.
Why it matters: The speakers emphasized that Highway 2 is outside municipal jurisdiction but runs through Monroe and other local communities. They urged local elected officials to use their relationships with county and state officials to seek engineering and safety remedies.
Next steps: Council members said they had already met with the mayor and others and would continue lobbying state and federal leaders, including working with neighboring cities to seek a coordinated approach. No formal council action or vote occurred during the meeting.
Sources: Public comments from Britney Leeper and Leah Pizzetti and council member responses at the Monroe City Council meeting.
