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Anna's Bridge

A bridge allowing safe access for children to and from school over railroad tracks.

A Mother's Plea:



My name is Tara Stickel, my daughter Anna Marie Stickel was struck and killed by an Amtrack train on January 5, 2010. The train tracks my daughter was killed on were adjacent to Orems Rd and are frequently used by school aged children as a short-cut to school. My daughter was not supposed to be on those tracks, she was not supposed to walk to school. Unfortunately she missed her bus and without my knowledge her and her girlfriend walked to school. It was a very long and cold walk for her, so the tracks were used as a "short-cut", an opportunity that should never have been afforded to my daughter. Unfortunately they were, and I am now left without her. Parents as you know cannot watch their children every second. Kids are reckless, and don't always think about what risks they are taking. Kids tend to think nothing bad can never happen to them. My daughter was no different, except something bad did happen to her. I, on behalf of my daughter would like to propose "Anna's Bridge". Anna's Bridge would require a bridge that kids can use as an access point to school. It would reguire a bridge be built over any railroad track that is in the vicinity of a school. The bridge should start and end at the closest point of the school so that these kids have an option. The Orems Rd. tracks are accessible to 3 different schools and are in a family oriented community. We need to protect our kids and make sure they have an alternative to crossing the tracks. With this proposal kids could cross the bridge, not the tracks. It would still offer them their "short-cut" but keep them safe at the same time. This proposal is so important as we have lost too many children to those tracks. I don't want to see another parent go through what I and so many other parents have gone through at the expense of these tracks. Please contact me when possible, regarding this proposal. I am trying so hard to find meaning in my daughters death and I'm hopeing this will save the lives of other kids.



With my deepest regret,

Tara L.Stickel