A Rondeau woman's petition to add median barriers on Hwy. 401 from Tilbury to London will be presented at Queen's Park next Wednesday.
Alysson Storey created the petition nearly three weeks ago after her friends Sarah and Freya Payne were killed when a pickup truck crossed the median and struck their van on Hwy. 401 near Dutton. Storey's petition forms are available in Chatham-Kent municipal service centres until Friday.
"Our MPP Rick Nicholls will be presenting both a question to the minister, as well as this petition next Wednesday, October 4 at Queen's Park. We're just rallying the troops right now. We're hoping to get a great turnout to go to Toronto [and] show our support," says Storey. "We hope by having a strong presence in Toronto next week, we'll send a very strong message to the Minister of Transportation that this 401 barrier needs to go up now."
She says her original goal was to reach 1,000 signatures, which the petition has now surpassed. She adds that people from as far away as Ottawa have signed the petition.
"Thanks to the help of Rick Nicholls' office, and also South-Kent Councillor Trevor Thompson who brought it to the municipal council table, we've had a really great response. We've hit 1,000, and now we're actually closer to 2,000," says Storey.
Storey believes tragedies like the loss of her friends wouldn't happen if these barriers were in place.
"If there was a median barrier up on August 29, which was when Sarah and Freya were killed, this accident would never have happened," she says.
Storey says she will likely be renting a bus for anyone who would like to come and support the petition in Toronto. Those interested can reach her at (519)-365-2129.