Editor,

On Friday March 29, a hit-and-run death occurred in Freeland on Lancaster between Wahl and Woodard. There were two tragedies involved. One is that whoever you were that was driving the truck that killed Scott S. was going so fast in this residential neighborhood that his shoes were spread across more than one property. And then you left without stopping, leaving other motorists and nearby homeowners to find what was left of this man and call for emergency help.

Whoever you are, if you are reading this, know that you will never forget that moment of impact and the fact that a fellow human died because of your actions. Please recognize this and face where your life has brought you. You get to choose if you forever live in fear and look over your shoulder, or whether you seek a clear conscience and turn yourself in.

The other tragedy is of course Scott S. I did not know him but later found out he was a known houseless man who was described as “chill,” down on his luck and successfully making it through this past cold, dark winter. Community members had reportedly tried to find resources for him very recently but did not find a receptive audience. Now there is a man who lost his life in the most undignified manner who was someone’s father, son, friend. And probably traumatized community members who suffered collateral damage from the manner of his passing.

When we talk about homelessness and the multiple kinds of human misery we witness around us, it’s not about “them” or “those people” or politics or neighbors or people who don’t hold our values. It’s about us. It’s about you and me and about what we see in the mirror. It’s about how we talk to each other and the actions we each choose to make every single day. It’s about whether we treat people with care and compassion – even in the most minor of interactions. It’s about moving past a culture of fear, of us and them, and remembering what it means to practice being a good human.

Scott S. was a fellow community member, regardless of his circumstances. I wish I had done more. Collectively, I hope we each choose to practice being better humans. Every day.

May you rest in peace, Scott.

Molly Carney

Freeland