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Renton resident holds sign imploring drivers to slow down after accident

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RENTON, Wash. — This is a first for Paul Behr - holding a handwritten sign on an overpass, warning drivers that despite its name, this is no highway.

"What does your sign say?" he was asked.

"The sign says 'Car accidents and fatalities have become too common on this highway, 169,' " Behr said. " 'And to slow it down.' "

It's no coincidence that he was here the day after this three car crash on Maple Valley Highway.

"Because I wanted to come here and check out what happened here yesterday," said Behr.  "And I thought to myself, 'I'm going to write up a sign and tell people who maybe don't know that there's all these accidents on this highway.' "

Renton Police say speed and drugs were to blame.

"Totally out of control," said Chuck Charbonneau, of the driver in Friday's accident.

"Really sad," said his wife Mij Charbonneau.

"What made you come back now?" they were asked.

"Because I saw that sign," said Mij Charbonneau.  "And I didn't know how many people actually saw what we saw, the beginning of it."

The Charbonneaus said they saw the beginning of the Friday night crash.  It sent four people, including a child, to the hospital.

"And that child was badly hurt," they were told.

"It's tragic," said Mij Charbonneau.  "Really sad, very sad."

But preventable, say these cyclists, if only drivers would slow down.

"We've seen multiple accidents on this highway," said Lauren Crater, who lives nearby. "We've had trouble getting home sometimes because accidents happen and it shuts down the freeway. Again we just saw a Good Samaritan standing out here. We wanted to bring him some water and let him know he's not alone."

Paul Behr says he believes Renton Police should step up patrols.  That would help slow down the traffic and help prevent the accidents.  Some of them are fatalities.

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