Heartbroken NJ mom must be allowed to keep her speed kills sign (Opinion)

Here’s a ridiculous story of bureaucracy just looking for a problem where none exists.

Jennifer Metzger was just 16 years old when she died on Route 9 at Main Street in Woodbridge in a terrible car crash.

Her heartbroken mother Lisa Metzger started a foundation in her daughter’s name and put up a sign there with her daughter’s picture and the words SPEED KILLS. The sign has stood there ever since 2009.

For well over 10 years all this mom has wanted is to put a reminder in people’s heads that easing up on speeding could save a life. She’s not looking for financial gain. She’s not looking to sell anything. She’s only looking to spare even one other family from the pain she lives with to this day.

The sign having caused no issues for over a decade is now being threatened by the Department of Transportation. They contacted Lisa and told her the sign was “illegal” and that it was an “advertisement.” This complaint allegedly came from Woodbridge but they never explained further.

An advertisement?

No. This obviously isn’t an advertisement. She’s looking to gain nothing. If this is an advertisement what’s she selling? Life? That a young person shouldn’t die on a highway? How dare she, huh?

Lisa Metzger wants answers and as of the time I’m writing this she hasn’t gotten any. This is a pathetic example of how government doesn’t work. This sign stood for so long and in all those years did no harm whatsoever. We’ll never know but maybe it has even saved a life or two.

This is a solution in search of a problem. Leave this woman alone! She’s already taken down the sign because she was afraid of crews coming and removing it but she’s not giving up the fight.

With all the constant distractions that the DOT allows on our roads in the form of too many electronic billboards with all the bells and whistles, with how the government exempts police officers from the same handheld cell phone laws we’re under, the state of New Jersey really needs to get their priorities straight. Allow Lisa Metzger to put her sign back up. In fact, do it for her.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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