My name is Maureen Devlin. I live in Sayreville, where the courtesy busing has been cut. I have no children who have to walk on these dangerous roads anymore. In fact, I had one child, Jolene Noel Devlin, but she, too, had to cross Main Street, which is more like a main highway, to get to her bus stop. On April 13, 2000, Jolene was struck by a car. She died on April 16, 2000 – my only child.
Jolene was a beautiful person. She loved life. She was all I had. But she was forced to cross a main street, like so many of these children will have to do to get to school.
After Jolene was killed, my family and I and some friends fought to have a law put in place that is now an ordinance. Jolene’s Law ensures that no child will have to cross Main Street to get to his or her bus. So how can they make these children cross to get to their schools?
How many more children will have to die before they realize the tragic mistake they are making? In this town there are no quiet roads. They are all extremely busy streets, especially at school time in the morning when the children will all be walking.
Jolene was almost to the other side of the street when she was hit by a person who claimed to have the sun in his eyes. Sun glare is what he says caused him not to see my daughter. Well, how many children will be hit because some driver will also have the sun in his or her eyes?
I have to live the rest of my life now in pain every day, all day. I never saw my daughter go to the prom or graduate from high school. Every birthday and holiday, I get to go to the cemetery and leave my daughter flowers. I will never see her graduate from nursing school or get married, and I will never have grandchildren. In the last six years I have never heard, nor will I ever again hear, that one word – “Mom.”
So, please, do not let Jolene’s death be in vain. To the Borough Council I say reinstate the courtesy busing. I had tried to get Jolene’s bus stop changed back then, but I was told “no” by the transportation coordinator, and so I had no choice but to let her cross while I went to work, and Jolene lost her precious life because of it.
Please don’t let this happen again. These children need a safe way of going to school, and making them walk is not it. They need to be back on their buses where they are safe.
Maureen Devlin
Sayreville