On Nov. 2, while sitting in my recliner, I heard the familiar sound of a truck locking up its brakes. When I got up to investigate what was happening, I saw a school bus with the red light activated on Route 54 and Laurel Street discharging children. Then came into view a co-gen truck followed by a huge white cloud of smoke emitting from the brakes.

This was another close miss on Route 54 in the Village of Hauto. From my view I could clearly see 50 to 60 feet of skid marks on the highway. The following day I looked at the highway and realized there were more skid marks than I thought. I proceeded to measure them from start to finish and found the actual total was 208 feet long. These have to be a record amount of skid marks, when the speed limit on Route 54 where this incident happened is 40 mph.

The new company is hauling culm for the co-gen for approximately two or three weeks now. My first impression on a clear afternoon with good viewing distance, with the speed limit of 40 mph to cause 208 feet of skid marks is outrageous. I hope the co-gen comes up to verify this measurement so I can officially list them as the largest skid marks in a residential area. I have observed many skid marks like these on the turnpike and Route 81. When coming to the end of those skid marks there is usually a dead animal. This near miss on Route 54 could have had the same results, but instead of an animal it could have been a child who was simply exiting a school bus.

We cherish our children. PLEASE SLOW DOWN, so our children can safely exit a school bus and get home safely.

William J. McMichael

Nesquehoning