There are many suffering ‘victims’ from fatal crashes

Q

Our foreman and his wife were the first on the scene after the CHP patrol officers’ SUV was hit from behind on Interstate 880 in Hayward on Christmas Eve, killing Officer Andrew Camilleri. She is a physician’s assistant and they are both trained in CPR.

We all know that their efforts were unsuccessful but the incident created two more victims. They are emotionally scarred as a result and will never forget that, despite their best efforts, they were unable to bring Officer Camilleri back to life.

We are, to state the least, very proud of their efforts but I cannot imagine the emotional pain of dealing with the aftermath of such a horrific scene. — George Nunes, Hayward

A

Too often in a tragedy like this, there are other “victims.” Here it was Adin Stein of Redwood City and his wife. Think of the Bay Bridge workers on duty last month when toll collector Si Si Han was killed after a suspected drunk driver smashed into her booth.

Several years ago a young Gavilan College student struck and killed a teen pedestrian on Capitol Expressway in San Jose. She did nothing wrong, driving the speed limit and braking when she spotted him dashing into the street around stopped cars. She sat in her car sobbing when police arrived.

The 2005 death of CHP Lt. Michael Walker also sticks with me. Walker was killed when he stopped to help a stranded driver on Highway 17 near Glenwood Drive on New Year’s Eve. Also killed that night was Jerry Blinkenberg, of Boulder Creek, who crashed into the tow truck that hit and killed the officer. He had done nothing wrong. When I wrote about Jerry, his anguished brother called to say thanks for not describing him as being responsible.

Q

I saw the question about Interstate 680 expansion being prefaced by the median landscape being trimmed back. The same has happened on Interstate 780 recently and I was wondering if there plans for I-780 as well. — Danny Richards, Benicia

A

Within days Caltrans will open the I-780Laurel Street Bridge between Vallejo and Benicia. But there are no plans to widen I-780. Crews recently trimmed the oleanders in that area. They cut them short but oleanders are resilient and will grow back pretty fast.

Q

I know you’re probably past the subject about how best to keep FasTrak transponders from falling. If you clean the windshield before applying the Velcro, it should stay up for years, as mine do. — Don Nobori

A

Whatever works is dandy with me.