Every time Sanjit Shah leaves his Saunders Lane home, he has to drive by the spot on Persimmon Tree Road where his younger brother Sumil died on Aug. 14.
"It's been very hard. You feel the emptiness whenever you do anything, especially since Sumil was such a big part of our lives. I don't know if we'll ever get used to it," said Shah.
Sumil Shah, 20, and Nikesh Shah, 18, Sumil's cousin visiting from Chicago, were killed on Aug. 12 when their car struck a tree and burst into flames on Persimmon Tree Road, within a few yards of the entrance to Shah's home street, Saunders Lane.
Just a week before on Aug. 5, Alan R. Howell, 42, a truck driver from Gaithersburg, was killed at the intersection of Persimmon Tree Road and Eggert Drive.
"I drive by that road every day, and I think, are they doing anything?" said Sanjit Shah.
TWO COUNTY COUNCILMEMBERS — Howie Denis (R-1) and Council president Steve Silverman (D-at large) have held meetings with citizens, including traffic engineers, following the accidents. Silverman met with citizens in August and Denis met, again, with citizens in September.
Residents raised a variety of concerns, including lack of visibility due to a hill which many say should be lowered and the need for a stop sign at Persimmon Tree Road and Eggert Drive.
Originally, traffic engineers said it would take three months to study the road following the meetings in late August.
On Sept. 24, Silverman wrote Al Genetti, director of the Department of Public Works and Transportation, to determine possibility of several safety measures he would like to be addressed. (See box.)
The Division of Traffic and Parking Services is in the process of evaluating the length of Persimmon Tree Road between River Road and MacArthur Boulevard to develop possible traffic safety improvements, according to a memo Genetti sent back to Silverman on Nov. 1, 2002. Genetti said the study will be completed within 60 days of his memo, and that he would forward Silverman a summary of the study's recommendations and a response to questions Silverman addressed.
FRED WARD, who lives on Saunders Court and attended the September meeting, expressed frustration with the length of time county officials said the study would take.
"It doesn't look like rocket science to me," said Ward. "What about any more accidents during that time?"
Meanwhile, Paul Klinedinst, president of Congressional Country Club, requested that the county take some short-term measures, which do not necessitate studies.
Klinedinst, who wrote a letter to Genetti last week, requested that the county routinely mow vegetation and brush on the shoulder of Persimmon Tree Road — from the intersection of Persimmon Tree Lane to the intersection of Bradley Boulevard — to keep it from encroaching onto the roadway.
THE COUNTY has put a mobile speed trailer on Persimmon Tree and Ward suggested that the sign remain in place until the county makes improvements to the road.
"People are coming at some speed, and the road goes up and down, and they can't see as they come over the hill," said Shah. "My hope is that someone takes it seriously and we get some movement forward. We have to do something to proactively stop people from speeding. You have to protect people from hurting themselves."
Ward said there are three obvious problems: people go too fast, there is no visibility because of the hill by Saunders Lane and the curve.
"Some people just panic," when they come over the hump an dare confronted with a curve," said Ward. "There are a lot of things going on."