STATE TO BLAME IN I-93 DEATH

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”  (Revelation 13:17)

The above prophetic Bible verse describes a time of bureaucracy gone amok;  a time when the government will care only about itself, and a couple of individuals at the highest governmental level; a time when government will essentially thumb its nose at everybody including God.  No, we aren’t there yet.  But this week we have a little taste of it.  I honestly don’t know how the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and/or Governor Mitt Romney can do ANYTHING in good conscience before they apologize to Raucci family in sackcloth and ashes!  If I were a Boston area radio talk show host, I’d be all over this one  “wall to wall” much as the late Jerry Williams used to be over “New Braintree”.

The Raucci’s story is found on the front page of the July 4, 2006 MetroWest Daily News, and also on page seven of the Boston Herald for July 4.  Last Friday night, Tony Raucci, age 43, his wife Elena, and their seven-year-old son (who happens to be autistic) found themselves broken down on Interstate 93 in Tewksbury.  They did everything they were supposed to do. They did NOT Call 911 on their cell phone because the state and local police have drummed into us to NOT call 911 “unless it is an emergency” and 90% of what the public considers emergencies THEY DON’T!   The Rauccis didn’t want to listen to some condescending dispatcher lecture them that “a flat tire is not an emergency”, so they didn’t call 911.  However, on several long stretches of Interstate highway in Massachusetts there are “Motorist Aid Call Boxes” as there have been for over thirty years.  I used to feel very comforted knowing those call boxes were there.  I always assumed you’d go to the call box and talk into some kind of telephone or two-way radio device and some nice truck and/or State Police cruiser would quickly arrive to rescue you. Stupid me.  And stupid Mr. and Mrs. Raucci who assumed the same thing.  

In fact, I learned from the newspaper stories that all those boxes do is give you a button to push.  YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF ANYONE GOT THE MESSAGE, IF ANYONE IS COMING OR ANYTHING!  The Rauccis pushed the button.  No one came.  Tony Raucci gave up and changed the tire.  As he was putting the jack back into his car he was plowed into by a vehicle driven by a driver who was allegedly high on prescription drugs. Raucci was killed.

I am saddened and sickened by that story.  I know I must sound like the whining, “How many more must die?” line that Howie Carr sarcastically uses on his radio show.  But: HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE.

The front page headline of the MetroWest Daily News reads, “State says not to use call boxes”.  Well, it was really nice of them to tell the Rauccis, wasn’t it?!  Tony Raucci is described by his neighbor as an outstanding father.  Well, that’s one outstanding father who didn’t even get to celebrate this Fourth of July and who sure didn’t get any “outstanding” information from the state!

Had there NOT been all the WHINING about “Don’t call 911 unless it’s a REAL emergency,” the Rauccis would have called, and Tony Raucci would be alive!  And if the state says not to use the call boxes, then that was quite an “April Fool” joke- (oh, excuse me, “June Fool”) wasn’t it?!

How many think Governor Romney and/or the Secretary of Public Safety will publicly and emphatically apologize?  Don’t hold your breath waiting!