Gov. McDonnell to Visit Hybla Valley Area Today for Signing of Ashley's Law

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will visit the Hybla Valley area today for a ceremonial signing of "Ashley's Law" at 2:30 p.m. at the Sherwood Regional Library, 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane.

"Ashley's Law" requires that first responders use sirens and lights when passing through intersections. Previously it was left up to the drivers' discretion on whether to use a siren. The law gets its name from Ashley McIntosh, who was exercising her civic duty on Feb. 12, 2008. It was six months before her wedding, and the 33 year-old Claremont assistant kindergarten teacher had just finished voting in the presidential primary elections despite snowy and icy conditions.

As McIntosh turned out of the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center on a green light, her Toyota Corolla was struck by a Fairfax County police cruiser driven by Officer Amanda Perry. Perry was driving against a red light at the intersection of Route 1 and Boswell Avenue in Hybla Valley when she hit McIntosh, throwing her from her car and into the intersection. She died from her injuries the next day.

"You try to learn to live with it," said McIntosh's mother, Cindy Colasanto.

Witnesses of the accident told Colasanto the cruiser seemed to be traveling much faster than the speed limit and that the cruiser's lights were on, but the siren was not. Perry, then 22, later testified that she tried to flip the siren on, but that it wouldn't activate, Colasanto said. Colasanto believes her daughter's death would have been prevented if the siren had been on.

For a long two years, Colasanto has crusaded to change Virginia law. Currently, Virginia code states that police officers are only required to use a siren when passing through a red light at an intersection "as may be reasonably necessary." Colasanto wants a new law, 'Ashley's Law,' to require officers to use their sirens and lights when passing through intersections and four-way stops at all times.

Virginia Sen. Linda "Toddy" Puller (D-36th) sponsored 'Ashley's Law' because she wanted to "prevent further death and try to protect public safety," she said. Puller first introduced the bill in 2009.