On Sept. 14, 2023, Katie Marie Siegrist, 27, was walking her dog along Animas View Drive near the United Campground of Durango. Struck from behind by a black 1987 Jeep, Siegrist succumbed to her injuries. News reports indicated that she was wearing dark clothing with no reflective material and did not carry any lighting device. The driver was not cited.

Animas Drive has a speed limit of 25 mph. Near the accident scene is a radar-activated warning sign. It displays both the speed limit and motorists’ actual speeds. Speeding there is commonplace.

Overlooking the accident scene is a streetlight, which has been inoperable for more than a decade. Residents who report the outage are told by La Plata County that the streetlight is on city of Durango property. Durango claims the streetlight is on county property. In short, neither agency takes responsibility for the problem.

After the accident, a laced-up running shoe was found at the bottom of the hill, inside the RV Park. The shoe featured reflectors. If this was one of Siegrist’s shoes, its location suggests that the fatal collision happened at well more than 25 mph.

In memory of Katie Marie Siegrist and to avoid such a fatal accident in the future, I suggest immediate action. La Plata County and the city should set aside their jurisdictional differences and fix that streetlight. Anything less shows a mutual disrespect for both Siegrist and the safety of Durango residents.

James McGillis

Simi Valley, California