Red Light Philosophy

There are a few things in this country more dependable than a red light and a citizen convinced it is for someone else.

At 11:18 on a respectable Tuesday morning, when decent folks were minding their business, and the rest were minding their phones, Sparks Police were summoned to the intersection of Sparks Boulevard and Prater Way, a crossing so ordinary it had never asked for fame and did not deserve it when it got it.

A northbound driver, exercising that rugged independence we so admire until it rolls over, decided the red light was more of a suggestion than a commandment. The result was immediate and democratic: four cars entered the discussion, two argued violently, and one turned itself upside down to make a point.

Three people were injured, including one who found themselves trapped inside their vehicle, an arrangement no one recommends. The Sparks Fire Department, being less philosophical and more practical, removed the driver from the predicament. Two individuals, including the author of the red-light theory and the unfortunate occupant of the overturned car, were taken to the hospital with injuries that were mercifully not life-threatening.

A third driver reported no injuries, which in modern terms means they will still have to deal with insurance, and that is injury enough. As for the fourth car, it appears to have participated quietly and left without much to say—much like a taxpayer at a budget hearing.

The offending driver received a citation for failure to obey a traffic signal, which is the government’s polite way of saying, “We had one rule, and you found it.”

Impairment was not suspected, which is almost disappointing, as it leaves us with the far more troubling conclusion that everyone involved was perfectly sober and still thought this was a good plan. Prater Way was closed in both directions for an extended period, giving the public ample time to reflect on the delicate balance between freedom and physics.

One is negotiable in theory; the other enforces its laws immediately and without appeal.