To the Editor,

On Friday, December 13 at 4:20 pm on Main Street between the General Store and entrance to Newtown Savings Bank crosswalk a speeding driver struck, ran over, and killed a family dog being walked by his owner on a leash. It was a miracle she also wasn’t struck by this man’s car as well. According to the people there, he was unaware that he had struck Coby and ran him over with both his front and back tires. He said “the dog looks okay.” The family met at the vet’s office to say goodbye to Coby a loving golden retriever who was not okay. The driver wasn’t there to share the grief and loss resulting from his reckless driving. He clearly was in hurry.

Almost as sad as losing a wonderful dog is the fact that it isn’t surprising. The speed and recklessness exhibited by many drivers on our town roads is chilling and threatening. You take your life into your hands using the crosswalks on Main Street. Drivers don’t stop and even when a driver does pause to let a pedestrian cross, there is a good chance a car will pass them on the right.

Speed limit and stop signs are treated as decorative suggestions to many drivers. The southbound shoulder lane on Main Street is treated like an expressway with no rules.

The driver who killed Coby left without leaving any information.

Entering a crosswalk should not be a life-threatening experience. The town recently conducted a traffic survey on ways to improve the safety of our streets. May I suggest we start with enforcing some of the laws we already have on the books. If you witnessed this accident last Friday or have any information, please call the Newtown Police at 203-426-5841.

Karen Boyle

Newtown