Officials Must Take Action

by Robin Fox

To all elected officials,

Last spring I had an experience on my commute home from work on Highway 82 (between the airport and Brush Creek Road) that could easily have ended in tragedy. While driving home in the dark, an elk ran into the road, and before I even had time to react, it slammed into my car.

The impact was terrifying. My vehicle was destroyed and the elk was killed. I’m still shaken, thinking about how I nearly escaped injury or worse. Had I not instinctively swerved those few inches the elks head would have come straight through my drivers side window. The entire left side of my car was destroyed, and all the windows broken.

Encounters like mine are becoming far too common as our community grows and more roads cut through natural habitats. These animals are not careless. They are simply following long, established migration routes that are now busy roads. Both humans and wildlife are put at risk.

This is why the city of Aspen, the town of Snowmass, Pitkin County, and our state must prioritize wildlife, safe crossings and fencing, overpasses and underpasses. We need fewer collisions, fewer injuries, and a healthier wildlife population.

My accident serves as a harsh reminder of what happens when we fail to invest in these protections. I hope local officials would take action before someone is seriously hurt.

Letter to the Editor in the Aspen Times.