Flowers, photos and CDs were placed at makeshift memorials on a rural road east of Lake Stevens for two lives ended too soon. Jeffery Brown, 18, of Bothell and John Muguerza, 44, of Snohomish were killed when they were ejected from a Porsche convertible that struck a tree along the 17100 block of Newberg Road. Investigators think the car’s driver lost control, Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Rich Niebusch said. For longtime Newberg Road neighbors such as Bill Thomas, the August 26 deaths are a reminder of how deadly their two-lane rural road has become. “Exponentially, it’s getting worse,” Thomas said Friday. “I think we’ve been neglected in the system,” Thomas said. He’s taken classes on CPR and first aid so he can assist the people injured in crashes near his home, he said.
Local residents should notify the Department of Transportation and should submit written complaints when roads, such as Newberg Road, become dangerous and need to be closely monitored. If the State fails to make proper revisions or monitor the road despite having a history of complaints, the state can be found, at least partially, responsible for deaths that particular roadway.
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