THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 30, 1995 TAG: 9511300013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Cindy Clayton's report on the project to widen the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge (Nov. 14) was informative, but a very important detail was left out.
Ms. Clayton stated that the total cost of the project will be $103 million. The actual cost is $103 million plus a precious human life. Our son, Dennis O'Toole, was a journeyman iron worker assigned as a connector on the project. On June 21, just two weeks before his 26th birthday, he fell 110 feet to his death.
Life will never be the same for us or his brothers and sisters. Dennis' future was stolen from him. Among other things, he will never see the results of his hard work when the project is completed.
We hope that one or two of those 30,000 daily commuters on the bridge will think of Dennis and appreciate the sacrifice he made for the rest of us.
SHAWN J. O'TOOLE
NANCY J. O'TOOLE
Virginia Beach, Nov. 17, 1995 by CNB