The sudden and unexpected collapse of the Skagit River Bridge last month disrupted countless lives in countless ways.
Massive traffic back-ups. Businesses on both sides of the river impacted. Commuters and vacationers inconvenienced. And, of course, three motorists plunged into the river and came very close to dying in the accident.
But all those problems, serious as they are, can be remedied. The one irreparable, irreversible result of the collapse was the tragic death of State Trooper Sean M. O’Connell Jr., who was killed a week later in a traffic accident while helping to re-route traffic around the fallen bridge.
The death of Trooper O’Connell, who proudly wore badge #1076 during his 16 years with the State Patrol, took a husband from his wife, Alissa, and a father from his young children, Kian and Miley.
Trooper O’Connell’s funeral in Everett on June 6 drew an international crowd of thousands, and Monday, June 10, the Legislature will add its own voice to those eulogizing the fallen trooper. Both the House and Senate are planning to pass resolutions honoring Sean O’Connell as his family looks on from the galleries.
The House resolution is sponsored by Reps. Jeff Morris and Kristine Lytton, and the Senate sponsor is Sen. Kevin Ranker. All three Democratic lawmakers represent the 40th district, where the Skagit River Bridge is located.
Lytton, Morris and Ranker are also hoping for a more lasting tribute to Trooper O’Connell. They’ve dispatched a letter to the Washington State Transportation Commission, formally requesting the new span over the Skagit River be designated the Trooper 1076, Sean M. O’Connell Jr. Memorial Bridge.