By Kim DeMarco
Being a retired police officer with thousands of hours of training and accident investigation, I am having a very difficult time believing Sharon Bronson’s story.
I am certainly glad that she was not injured. I’m sure that it was a very frightening experience and not one that anyone wants to go thru. Everyone makes mistakes but it is her lack of information right after the accident and then her statements the following days that are in question.
First let’s review her statements:
- The article in the Daily Star the day of the accident mentions nothing about being bumped or her brakes failing. She does thank her rescuers and states “This was an extraordinary storm and illustrate that when even driving on roads that are not barricaded, there is a potential for risk.”
- The next day she said she was bumped from behind, maybe by debris. She turned onto the next street, Balboa, and had no brakes. Said she saw the wash coming but could not stop.
- Then in another article she said she was bumped from behind, possibly by another vehicle. Again she had no brakes and was unable to stop.
- And finally in an article today Ms. Bronson stated that she lost power, which allowed the car to coast into the wash.
Why did Sharon Bronson not mention being bumped from behind the day of the accident?
Why did she not mention that her brakes failed the day of the accident?
Why did she not mention the vehicles loss of power until 2 days later?
If you are involved in an accident of that magnitude don’t you think that you would tell the officer on scene what happened? Why wait until 24 hours to reveal that information? Maybe trying to blame someone or something for her bad judgment?
The next question is, if Ms. Bronson was bumped from behind and her brakes failed resulting in an accident there should be an accident investigation. This accident was potentially caused by someone else.
Even if she was not bumped from behind she stated that her brakes failed – this should also trigger an investigation.
And last but not least, this was an accident involving a county vehicle. This in itself should require an investigation.
So where is the investigation?
Now, on another note. Ms. Bronson claims that her brakes went out right after she made the turn. The wash is about 100 yards from the turn off of Ft. Lowell. Even if she made the turn at a speed of 15mph, which is a reasonable speed to make that turn, she would have been traveling at a very slow rate of speed as she approached the wash. There are at least two opportunities to turn into a parking lot or dirt lot before entering the wash.
There was also a sign prior to the wash that says, “Dip do not enter when flooded.”
Even if all the above statements were true, and I do not believe they are, she would have easily been able to turn into the open lots prior to the wash. This was very bad judgment on Sharon Bronson’s part and unfortunately the tax payers will foot the bill, like they do on all of the bad judgments that she has made.
Where is the integrity?
Without a competent and impartial investigation we will never know – and I am sure that is how they want it.
Everyone makes mistakes. Own up to them and just say you made a bad decision.
Kim DeMarco
Candidate for Pima County Supervisor – District 3