Deadly tree removed from intersection

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County Road - 2008-11-21 20:50:27

Johnathan, This is a county road and the tree cutting was done by a county crew. The state has nothing to do with this issue. This is an example of the finely tuned Leopold PR machine. Is this a bad thing? Not in this case. I'm just as much a tree-hugger as anyone...but what's the loss of this one tree compared to the loss this family suffered? Perhaps the family will plant a new tree in Timothy's memory in a place the tree can flourish

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Nils Pedersen - Arnold, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Don't stir & walk away - 2008-11-19 17:32:28

I have refrained from posting further because I don't believe I adequately separated the family & the situation from the point I'm trying to communicate. And by not being able to do so, I feel it has or would cause undo stress & grief to the deceased's family & other loved ones and that is not my intention.

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J. Smith - Rising Sun, MD - Karma: Bad

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Welcome to Maryland - 2008-11-18 20:58:27

Because you are witnessing the Maryland's Highway Administration at its best...slow and worthless.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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Why So Long? - 2008-11-18 20:28:48

Why did it take so long for something to be done regarding this intersection if it was so dangerous? Twelve accidents since 2000 and four of them involving a tree. Another death, unfortunately, finally made the powers that be take some action.

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J. Jovkovich - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Hey tree hugger - 2008-11-18 15:35:00

Sorry I mean J.Smith no where in this article does it say the family blamed the tree for the accident. All the poor mom said it was hard for her to look at the tree every day that her son hit. I am sure the county took it down out of respect and I am also sure not having it there does make it easier to see. What irritates me about people like you is you had all this negative stuff to say about this grieving family but when people reply to your posting you has nothing to say back. I mean don't stir the pot than just walk away. Also I mean god for bid you were man or woman enough to say that what you said was inconsiderate and just plane wrong. Again no one is blaming the tree and the family even said they will plant one in his honor. All it was about was this grieving mother did not want to stare at this tree anymore that her son hit and so sadly died. Have some respect and think before you post comments.

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M. C - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

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Hi Paul Flannagan - 2008-11-18 02:39:18

Just wanted to say Hello to my banned for life friend. Why not just set up a new email, then you can be on here again. Miss you!!!Gotta go go now, have to watch J Smith fight the fires in Cali that are killing all those poor trees!

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Jean R. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Debbie - 2008-11-17 19:29:44

Because you would have people like JS trying to sue you afterwards. People like that often value one tree over the lives of several people.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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Two points - 2008-11-17 16:42:46

1) Nobody 'blamed' the tree. Humans err, mechanical devices fail, and unexpected events can cause accidents. It is wholly reasonable to take measures to minimize the damage if any of those things are likely to occur. In this case, multiple lives would have been saved if the action had been taken sooner. Better to remove it to prevent more deaths in the future.

2) Without knowing the details, it sounds like the tree may have been on county property or within their right-of-way, perhaps making them the only ones able to cut it down. People can't just go around cutting down trees on public property.

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brian s. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

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Potentially deadly bush - 2008-11-17 15:28:29

Heading South on Riva Road, it is often difficult to see oncoming traffic when attempting to turn left onto Beards Point Road due to a large bush in the line of sight. I'm not sure whether any accidents have happened due to this bush, but several people have complained to no avail.

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Stephen L. - Shady Side, MD - Karma: Bad

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County's fault - 2008-11-17 11:46:45

J. L. why is it always the county's fault. If the tree was that big of an issue, why didn't you, or the residents of that area take action? It always seems, after the fact, that everyone is always waiting on the government. I don't get it.

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Debbie F. - Arnold, MD - Karma: Bad

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Get over yourself Smith - 2008-11-17 11:34:14

J. Smith is obviously one of those crazy tree huggers. Probably would have chained himself to it had he been there when they cut it down. They said the tree was so damaged it was most likely going to die and fall into the road endangering more lives. As someone who lost a friend from a dead/damaged tree FALLING ON HIM I can see the reasoning in removing it. Try reading the whole article before you comment Smith.

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Jean Richards - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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JS is kidding, right? - 2008-11-17 07:33:59

Smith, you have to be kidding right? The road was obviously constructed based off of something larger than a tree being in it's path. Im sure cutting down a tree is not going to impede the construction of a road in the first place. As we have seen, there have been several fatal/non-fatal accidents because of the obstruction of view that the tree causes. My only complaint is why it took the county legislation so long to cut it down in the first place after so many accidents. What next, complaints on trimming branches that block the view of a stop sign or are resting on a power line. Its a tree, get over it.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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Deadly Tree - 2008-11-16 17:52:20

Coming from one of TJ's family members, he did not just run off the road, strike a tree and kill himself.

Had the tree not been there, my 29 year old cousin would be alive today and my Aunt & Uncle and TJ's 2 sisters would not be having to deal with all of us. Don't worry Mr./Ms. Smith, I personally will make sure that we, his family, will plant another tree somewhere in a SAFE area in his honor!

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L. Cain - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

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On the contrary - 2008-11-16 17:02:13

Had I run off the road, struck a tree and killed myself the fault would lie with me and me alone. You could hardly blame the tree, which didn't ask for a road to be built next to where it lives. Are we to make all areas where traffic passes devoid of large plant life in the hopes that wayward vehicles will come to a safe stop when their drivers lose control? How far back should they slash & burn? Perhaps we should blame the engineers & workers that constructed the road with too sharp of a turn, or no guard rails? Believe me, I realize that losing a loved one is a traumatic experience and that trying to assign blame is part of the grieving process, so I can understand the family being upset when passing the area that their son died. But to cut down a tree simply because someone died running into it is silly. I mean no disrespect at all to the deceased or their family, but the tree didn't kill anyone.

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J. Smith - Rising Sun, MD - Karma: Bad

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Smith - 2008-11-15 20:32:26

That's why they call them 'accidents', Mr. Smith. Had the tree not been there, perhaps Tim may have survived. I suppose you and yours are faultless drivers with faultless cars who are immune to the actions of other drivers.

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T. Jackson - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Deadly tree? - 2008-11-15 15:19:47

What did the tree do, run out in front of him? With all due respect to the deceased & his grieving family, I don't see how his death was the tree's fault. Maybe he and the others involved in the accidents at that location should have kept their cars on the road.

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J. Smith - Rising Sun, MD - Karma: Bad