'PROVINCIALS' MADE SCAPEGOAT OF DRIVER

Your article entitled "Accident or Crime?" [Page 1, July 18] was
notably lacking any reference to the case of Anna Jackson, who pulled
onto Mill Street in front of on-rushing motorcycle officer Mike
Scofield at what is known to be a dangerous blind spot, killing him at
the scene.

What should have been another tragic traffic accident was tainted by
the fact that Ms. Jackson had a minute amount of marijuana in her
system from smoking it the previous day. Because of this, she was
singled out for criminal prosecution. She displayed neither gross
negligence nor criminal intent on the day of the accident, and it
should be noted that Officer Scofield's widow has filed suit against
the owners of the business that Ms. Jackson was leaving for not
trimming trees that blocked the view of oncoming traffic on Mill.

Ms. Jackson was made a scapegoat by those outdated provincials who are
still trying to show that marijuana is a dangerous drug, when most of
the world is accepting that it is not. The only thing criminal about
this case is that Ms. Jackson is facing punishment by the justice
system for a simple, though tragic, traffic accident.

Mac O'Brien, Reno