A London woman's efforts to get drivers to slow down on the Hwy. 401 have hit a bit of a roadblock.
The memorial cross that Kathleen Reed wanted to put up beside the Hwy. 401 near Union Rd. where her fiance Gary Lent was killed in a crash in February 2017. (Photo by Kathleen Reed)
Kathleen Reed wanted to put up a memorial cross near the scene of a fatal cross-over collision on the Hwy. 401 near Union Rd. that killed her fiance Gary Lent last February. But she says the plan was shot down by Ministry of Transportation officials after they saw how big it was and that it had reflective lettering.
"I understand their perspective on it being a distraction -- I am disappointed, however," says Reed. "I don't know what to do with this now, I'd like for it to be placed somewhere we can learn from this."
Reed says she may still put something else at the scene of the crash -- she already put flowers and a balloon down there in the past -- but she also understands that stopping on the side of the highway to place something there is very dangerous.
Whatever memorial she settles on, Reed would like it to be visible in the dark because the crash that killed her fiance happened at around 12:30am, but she realizes that might not be possible.
"I think what [the MTO] wanted, was they didn't want it to glow in the dark and they didn't want it reflective," says Reed. "I want people to see it in the day and the night because people don't just drive fast during the day."
Ultimately, Reed's goal is to make sure drivers know the dangers of speeding and take action to prevent future crashes.
"I'd love for this to go somewhere where people can see it and remind them that someone was killed here and you need to slow down," says Reed. "This could be you next, this could be your loved one next."