Minister Richardson
PHILIPSBURG--On Wednesday, Justice Minister Anna Richardson opened up about her accident in St. Peters on Monday night, when she hit a man who was crossing St. Peters Road near its junction with L.B. Scott Road. The pedestrian suffered only minor cuts and scrapes to his right arm.
“I just wanted to give a little insight about the accident,” said Richardson during the live Council of Ministers press briefing. “I know it has been magnified because I am a minister, but the reality is that the intersection as you are turning into St. Peters, which is where I was en route to, is a very dangerous one.”
Richardson gave her first-hand account of what happened on Monday night, which she described as a traumatic experience.
“[I am – Ed.] going on my way on L.B. Scott Road, and I slowed down. There were no cars coming from South Reward. I am about to turn into St. Peters when I wanted to make sure that there were no cars coming from St. Peters to turn to South Reward. There [were] none. It was quite dark as well … So, as I turned, I did not really accelerate that quickly, but as I turned into St. Peters, Mr. Wilson and I collided,” she said.
Richardson vowed on Wednesday to address the situation at the junction. “The area is very dark, and it has my attention now due to this experience, to address it. I will be meeting with the [Police] Traffic Department so we can discuss this, and I will do all things within my capacity as Minister of Justice to deal with this matter,” she said.
She also said she had been checking up on the man she hit and arranged for him to visit his general practitioner.
According to Richardson, there have been five similar incidents at the junction in the last two years – three in 2019 and two in 2020.
“I believe everything happens for a reason. And it has really rattled me, but I am regaining my focus and I will be addressing this in my capacity as Minister of Justice,” concluded Richardson.
