My heart goes out to the families of Barbara Lamborn and Tamblyn Wallis. I, too, am left with memories of a loved one killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident. In my case, my stepmother fell asleep at the wheel of the motor home she was driving, in which my father was a passenger. The cause: one moment of drowsiness that led my stepmother to drift off the side of the road and hit a parked vehicle. We know the cause because my stepmother survived the crash. Although it was purely an “accident,” my stepmother lived her last few years with severe depression knowing that she was the “cause” of my father’s death.In the case of Barbara Lamborn and Tamblyn Wallis, we will never know for sure the cause of that accident. However, if I may be so bold, I would guess it is likely that Mrs. Lamborn, returning home after a work shift spent on her feet, might have dozed off for just a second or two at the wheel, drifting into the oncoming lane. A second or two is all it takes, but the loss and guilt linger on.I would like to use this letter to warn everyone: PLEASE do not drive if you feel even the LEAST bit drowsy. Immediately pull over and jog around your car for a moment, pull into a fast food drive-up for a cup of coffee or slap your face! Do whatever it takes, but don’t risk being the cause of the loss of your life or another person’s life. Life is just too precious.Kelly Jo Salling-DaviesPeyton, Colorado
