LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Lancaster County commissioners have approved a program through which families can honor loved ones killed in car crashes with roadside memorials.
The commissioners approved the memorial program this week, The Lincoln Journal Star reported. It’s estimated that it will have an annual cost of $300. The program will be paid for through county funds. It will apply only to accidents on the county’s roads.
County Engineer Pam Dingman anticipates a higher volume of requests for the next couple of years, since people can request a sign for someone dating back six years. Official road signs will be created for the memorials. The signs will be blue and include the name or names of crash victims, with the exception of drunk drivers.
Dingman said the signs will respectfully honor a loved one who died in a fatal crash without creating a safety hazard with unofficial displays along the road. She said the signs will also educate the traveling public.
Commissioner Jennifer Brinkman, who opposed the program, said she thinks unofficial memorials will continue to be made.
“It is a grieving issue,” Brinkman said. She said if the private memorials are a safety issue, “they should be picked up.”
Lancaster County will be the first jurisdiction in Nebraska to have a memorial roadside sign program.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
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