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| Fort Irwin Road p |
| by Joe Orawczyk |
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| It's a dangerous road Fort Irwin Road is often referred to as "the world's longest cul de sac." It's an old two lane paved surface over thirty miles long. It's the only paved public road going in or out of the U.S. Army's National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California. About 40 people have died on the road since 1980.. What really bothers me about the Army's propaganda pertaining to Fort Irwin Road, is their prevailing attitude: "The real problem is staring back at us in the mirror."; and "Although many folks believe the road's poor condition contributes to accidents, that is simply not true." (both quotes published in the Tiefort Telegraph) This brainwashing is so ingrained, it seems inconceivable any other variable could exist, much less have an influence on our ability to drive this road safely. Yet almost in the same breath, they point out: "Once your vehicle leaves the road, there is a greater chance of rollover because of the raised shoulders and soft soil. rollovers are common and often result in serious injury or death."; (this was published on a DOD web site). Even at the risk of regurgitating the effluvium emitted from their propaganda machine, I must concur with CHP Officer Willie Hailey, who was quick to point out Fort Irwin Road doesn't cross solid yellow lines in a no passing zone, and Fort Irwin Road doesn't speed -- people do. While this sounds a lot like "Bad road conditions don't kill people, people kill people." he's got a point. And so does the Army. But then I remember the accident of Mrs. Avelina Olvera on May 20, 1989. She was on her way to work at building 222, which was a dining facility at the time, now it's a museum. She worked in the kitchen peeling potatoes and helping to prepare the morning meal for the hundreds of troops who were mostly still sleeping at 3:30 in the morning. From Barstow, she had made it all the way to a bridge on Fort Irwin, about half a mile South of painted rocks, when she apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Her little white car slowly drifted through the oncoming lane and slammed into the concrete bridge rail. If you look really close, you can see where concrete colored paint was applied to hide the burn marks. Of course, that was before corrugated metal guard rails were installed at either end of most bridges on this part of the road. Those went up soon after her death. Had one been installed prior to her accident, maybe she'd be alive today. And that's my point. The design, engineering, and construction play a part in most accidents regardless of the Army's decision to remain in staunch denial. It seems that has always been the way of it -- I mean reactionary rather than preventive. Gerry Evans has been the Defensive Driving Course Instructor at Fort Irwin for the past decade or so. In a moment of frustration she has said, "Soon after we put up another white cross, the county comes out and patches the road next to it. I wonder how many people have to die before they patch the whole thing?" Personally I wonder if they patch it to reduce Caltrans risk of receiving a letter from Jacoby and Myers. After all, it's not evidence tampering if there's no litigation, yet. Don't believe me? Go to the Caltrans web page and click on Site Index. They're actively recruiting "Legal Expert Witness Consultants" for their continuing defense, which indicates litigation is as pertinent a concern as safety. In all fairness to the Army, it would be irresponsible of us to want anything but the very best for our troops. Most of us recognize we can ensure our way of life only by providing the best equipment and training scenarios possible. A big part of that training is logistics. Not only do you have to fight better than the enemy, you have to move equipment into the theater too. That's becoming an ever larger part of the learning curve. (continue...p) |
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| Related web sites: Crosses of Fort Irwin Road photo album NTC, Fort Irwin Desert Dispatch Sen "Pete" Knight's 20/20 plan Senator Dianne Feinstein |
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