By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
WATROUSVILLE — There is a reason for “reduced speed” signs along some sections of highways. They are not just randomly posted. The 45 mph speed limit along M-81 in Watrousville was set because a little girl was killed there and her family doesn’t want others to lose a family member.
On May 2, 1987, Terri Jean Sapien, 9, was struck in front of her home at 4591 W. Caro Rd. (M-81) by a vehicle when she ran across the road. She died from her injuries May 3, 1987. At the time of the accident, she was a third-grade student in Twila Bardwell’s classroom at Schall School.
“We fought for a long time to get the speed limit in Watrousville lower so this doesn’t happen to another family… and now our efforts are being ignored,” said Betty Sapien, Terri Jean’s mother who will always remember that fateful day. “It’s important that people understand why we care so much… Our youngest daughter Terri Jean was killed on this highway. It’s time to remind everyone again why it is so important to slow down!”
After their daughter’s death, Robert and Betty Sapien fought to have the speed limit lowered from 50 mph to 35 mph.
A few months before the accident happened the Michi-gan Department of Transportation (MDOT) increased the speed limit in Watrousville from 45 to 50 mph in response to a study that showed 85 percent of drivers drove 50 to 55 mph in the Watrousville community.
Although the accident was nearly three decades ago, Sapien understandably still gets upset when she sees a vehicle disregarding the highway regulations her family and others found so hard to get.
“This guy in a silver truck was in such a hurry he not only was speeding, but decided he needed to go faster and passed in the no passing zone. I am at end of my patience with these drivers that come through here,” said Sapien. “We had to go to Lansing in 1987 to get no passing and lower speed zones through Watrousville.
“I feel like people don’t care any more. They get behind the wheel of a car or truck and put on
See SPEED A7
their blinders and go. I am a very upset mom, and I can’t take anymore of these stupid drivers that don’t care!
“Our daughter, Terri Jean, was killed on this highway, and I don’t want to see or hear of another child losing their life because of people not going the speed limit!”
Sapien has several laminated news clippings from the time the accident changed her family’s life forever and about the long fight to get the speed limit lowered.
One of her clippings is an August 1987 news article by former Saginaw News Reporter Fred Garrett, who reported Robert Sapien saying “my daughter made an error. I know we can correct that error. If that vehicle was going slower, my daughter would be here today.
“Watrousville is an accident waiting to happen…”
Also, in that article, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Engineer David Van Hine noted that 85 percent of normal drivers obey speed signs because they realize they are there for a reason; but our checks show, all drivers – on an average – set their own speed limits. Through Watrousville, they go 53 miles per hour even before the speed limit was changed to 45 mph.
Another news article Sapien kept, quotes a Michigan State Police (MSP) Safety Services officer explaining speeds are set by national engineering standards… “The truism is that 90 percent of all drivers are prudent. All they’ve done is add in another five percent to give us 15 percent as unreasonable drivers who will ignore basic driving laws. Otherwise it assumes that 86 percent of drivers will act reasonable and proper based on conditions,” only the act of the state legislature keeps the highway ceiling at 55 mph and residential rates at 25 mph.”
A 45 mph was set in the community back in 1959, but the MDOT does traffic studies about every 10 years. In 1976, the median speed through Watrousville was 52 mph. The traffic study in 1986 showed the same speed pattern so the speed limit was increased.
Despite those road blocks and more, the Sapien family took action to have the speed limit lowered. On May 12, 1987, the Tuscola County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution supporting returning the speed limit to 45 mph, and a no passing zone be declared for the same area.
It took a lot of determination, effort and side stepping some officials to get the speed limit lowered to 45 mph in January 1988 and in June 1988 when double yellow lines were painted for a no passing zone in the community.
The Sapiens credit late state representative Dick Allen and especially former senator Jim Barcia for the changes.
Back in December 1987 when Barcia was asked to support a transportation package calling for increased fees while officials wouldn’t act to lower a speed limit in Watrousville, “I told them to go to hell; that I wasn’t going to support the fee increase,” according to a Tuscola County Advertiser article.
At that juncture, Gov. James Blanchard bypassed the MSP’s Safety Division and went direct to the MSP director who signed the order to help with highway safety in Watrousville.
“Without their persistence (Sapiens and other residents), the speed limit wouldn’t have been done. The bottom line is safety; and I thought, overall, having a double line would make a safer community in Watrousville without causing detriment to the motorists passing through,” said from senator James Barcia in a 1988 article and noted that yellow lines are a “subliminal suggestion to motorists to slow down and beware.”
“Hopefully, by talking to the newspaper now people will understand there is a reason for lower speed limit signs and yellow lines…, and obey them,” said Sapien.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.