My name is Jesica Dempster and I am a special education teacher at Sussex Central High School. I have been a teacher and resident in Sussex County for four years now, and am proud to call this my home.
However, that is not my reason for contacting you. I am also a mother of two children (aged 3.5 years and 16 months) who have attended Lullaby Learning Center since they were 8 weeks old. This daycare is absolutely amazing, and the owners have become like family to everyone who attends that center.
When they moved to their current location on Route 9 in Harbeson, I did have major concerns regarding that intersection. Traffic can become very congested during the morning and afternoon commute, making it a difficult intersection to maneuver. What makes it worse are the drivers who speed along the shoulder to get past traffic to the traffic light at Route 9/Indian Mission.
For a few weeks earlier this year, the owner, Joe Gebbia, placed traffic cones to stop cars from speeding up the shoulder. He even risked his own safety to stand next to the cones on the road, hoping to prevent an accident. Commuters, however, did not like that he was doing this and complained to the county.
I was present the day a police officer came to the school and informed Joe that he was not able to block the shoulder or stand on the road. While I understand the officer was looking out for Joe’s safety, it was disheartening that citizens cared so little about the well-being of cars coming in and out of a daycare parking lot.
I have lost count of the amount of times a speeding car has almost struck myself and other parents as we are turning in/out of the daycare. Pulling into daycare this morning, a fellow parent at the daycare was struck by an oncoming car that was speeding up the shoulder. This car struck the passenger side of a Suburban that was carrying a mother and her infant child… who was positioned on the passenger side.
Thankfully the mother and baby are going to be fine, but this is completely unacceptable. My oldest daughter saw the accident and was in tears, worried about the mother and baby in the car. This is not the first time an accident similar to this has occurred, and unfortunately it probably won’t be the last.
My question is simply this…what needs to happen before something is done about these speeding cars? How many more accidents and injuries need to happen? What happens when an adult or child loses their life? I fear for the safety of my children, as well as all the children at the daycare. I know that this is not a change that will happen overnight, but I can’t sit by and let something serious happen without a fight.
I have been in contact with Steve Smyk, DelDOT, Brian Pettyjohn and Ernesto Lopez. I will continue to reach out to other government officials until something is done!
Jesica Dempster
special education teacher
Sussex Central High School
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