Another tragedy on River Road
No doubt, you’ve heard about the tragic end to one of Windham’s most dignified men – Winfred Strout. Win was 89, had just donated some of his time to sell Christmas trees for the local Kiwanis Club, and was on his way home when tragedy struck.
He and his lovely wife Barbara were stopping by a River Road home to drop off money he and fellow Kiwanians had earned from the sale of Christmas trees in North Windham.
Who knows how many times the 33-year Kiwanis veteran had made the trip before? But, tragically, Tuesday’s was his last. Win was struck by a passing car and killed immediately.
Was the high speed limit on River Road to blame? The fact that Win and another man were both killed on the same road in the same year are hints that the speed limit needs to be lowered.
By all accounts, Win was a good man. Some would say great. He lived a long and prosperous life and had many caring friends, a true test of a man’s worth, as the saying goes. He will leave many fond memories in the minds of those who knew and loved him.
Win did everything in town. He was one of Windham’s first town councilors (when the town switched over from a board of selectmen in the 1970s). Win also served on the school committee and served on a myriad of town committees. He was an active member of the Kiwanis club and his church, Windham Hill UCC.
Who knew his life would end this way?
He was crossing River Road when the accident happened late Tuesday afternoon. It was dark, and Win, who knew the road well being a longtime resident of nearby Windham Center Road, was somehow struck walking back across the busy road. It’s not clear what caused Win’s death. Did he stumble into the path of an oncoming car or did he just fail to hear the car coming? It’s hard to think about some of these things.
Win’s tragedy is not an isolated case, however. Last January, not even a year ago, another good man was killed on River Road. Robert LaMontagne, who, at age 78, would daily walk along the entire length of River Road collecting trash and recyclables, was killed while crossing the road near Thayer Store. Robert had just shoveled some light snow for a neighbor and was on his way back to his group home when, for some reason, he walked out in front of a Chevy Suburban whose driver had no time to react. Tragic. Here was a man who had lived a quiet life and was doing what he enjoyed, walking along his favorite road. May he rest in peace.
And may Win rest in peace as well.
So, we’ve now had two fatalities of pedestrians on River Road. Is this just a coincidence, or is there something wrong with the road? Is the speed limit too high? Yes. Is the road too narrow for the current 50 mph speed limit? Yes. Do the rolling hills forbid such a high speed limit? Yes. Should the Maine Department of Transportation lower the speed limit? Yes.
Newly repaved Route 302’s speed limit is correctly marked at 50 mph. Should River Road – a narrow, twisty and hilly ribbon of roadway – also be 50 mph? No way. Two pedestrians killed within a year demands that the speed limit be changed.
A more appropriate limit would be 40 mph. That is fast enough for the conditions. There are some spots that 50 mph could still be appropriate, such as the flat section where Windham Center Road comes out. But once you get up near the Mormon church – near where Win was hit – the speed limit needs to be lowered. The rest of the way, from the Mormon church to Covered Bridge Road, should be 40 mph instead of 50 mph. The terrain and presence of houses and activity on the road demand the lower limit. Densely populated sections of River Road obviously can’t handle the high speeds.
A lower speed limit may lengthen commuters’ morning and evening drive time, but overall, it would be in everyone’s best interests. And, hopefully, a lower limit could avert tragedies such as the one the Strout family is now experiencing.
-John Balentine, editor
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