CfSGGB - Articles

Where's the justice for David Sutton?
We're writing this letter to express the anguish we feel over the decision to toss out of court Dave Sutton's case concerning his accident on the Golden Gate Bridge! Where's the justice? Here was a decent, hard working guy doing his job when all of a sudden, because of there being "no room for error" on that bridge, another car hits him and creates a fatal accident, causing Mr. Sutton to lose his leg and a hand and to be severely burned for the rest of his life. Look how many other people have died or been maimed because of no barrier on the bridge. That should have been a priority 20 years ago, The anguish lies in the fact that these people cannot even get close to being compensated for their ordeal. We own seven acres, and if you came on our land and really injured yourselves, you could sue the pants off us, and probably own our land.	Photograph: Frank Schweiger expressing his anger over his accident with David Sutton. This was taken during the petition drive in March of 1996.

Why is the bridge any different? The district charges $3 to cross the highest toll of any bridge I know, although it was supposed to be free after it was paid for years ago. But since the district has raised the toll, why hasn't a barrier or lower deck been built before now? It would have prevented all these unnecessary accidents. So now the bridge district is going to put up a barrier and take all the credit for it, when in fact it should definitely be marked as "The Sutton Barrier," because Mr. Sutton is the first person to "win the right to sue" and demand immediate action on that barrier. The politics on this issue are absurd. Who's the judge? What happened to the rights of people and to fair justice? The bridge district says it's exempt from any lawsuits. Why should that be? How is Mr. Sutton supposed to live now? And what about the many others marred or mangled on this most dangerous bridge? It's just not right that there is no compensation whatsoever for the survivors of crashes on any bridge, but mainly the Golden Gate. The people who OK'd the design and gave appraisal to build the Golden Gate sure never looked to the future! I guess they never had a clue that there would be a population explosion in California, which causes more people to drive. Bottom line: How can a person "win the right to sue" after a long struggle, only to have a judge toss out the case? It's not our fault the bridge is unsafe. Karen and Mark Pera Glen Ellen, CA. "97"
Comment: To think that David Sutton was the first victim to successfully bring a lawsuit against the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District due to a head-on collision. So you think they should call it the Sutton Barrier. Just remember one thing, Let it be know, and Let it be said. There have been thirty-seven other victims of a head-on collision well before Mr. Sutton had his, and Mr. Robert M. Guernsey had started his campaigned to stop all head-on collision's on the world famous bridge as far back as October 28, 1989, so maybe they should call it "The Golden Guernsey Bridge Barrier." Or the "Frank Schweiger Barrier", or the "Clem Gutierrez Barrier" (Died in the collision of David Sutton accident).

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