Family of Tristin Bourgeois seeks restrictions on highway 74 truck traffic
Tristin Bourgeois is remembered with love by his family and community. A GoFundMe campaign, ‘Support Tristin Bourgeois’ Family After Tragic Loss,’ has been created to help his loved ones during this difficult time. (Photo source: GoFundMe).
There is now a second petition on Change.org intending to make Highway 74 safer from Palm Desert to 371. The first petition sought action from Caltrans to repair the many potholes in the asphalt. The new one seeks to limit the use of 74 by heavy trucks, enforce the prohibition with a weigh station.
The new petition was started by Tina Bourgeois, stepmother of Tristin Bourgeois, who lost his life on the morning of October 31, as he was driving to work from his home in La Quinta. A large dump truck pulling a trailer, both full of sand, lost control coming down the switchbacks above Palm Springs, tipped over, and collided with his Chevy Silverado. “He was 27.” She told us, adding that the day we spoke, February 10, was Tristin’s 28th birthday. “Today he would have turned 28.” After the first three days, the petition had 1,077 signatures. Bourgeois said that “63% are coming from mountain communities.” By press time the number had risen to over 1,500.
The Bourgeois family has met with Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez, who’s office has confirmed that he is working on a bill to address the use of 74 as a shortcut for heavy trucks. Tina calls it “Tristin’s bill.” The petition suggests several possible measures: “We may not get all these big trucks off the highway, but we can take some baby steps, get some scales. At Paradise corners. The truckers will tell their friends.”
The petition names three primary hazards: trucks bypassing weigh stations, the steep grade causing brake failure, and the damage to the roadbed from overweight trucks.
The steepest part of 74 is an 8.3% grade, below Vista Point, where Tristin lost his life. The weigh station could be posted at Paradise Corners.
The petition calls for several changes, which the legislative process will have to digest into a passable bill. These include:
- A portable weigh station
- Caltrans enforcing restrictions on truck length and weight
- A Caltrans study on accidents along Highway 74
- Improved signage advising trucks to use pullouts
- A GPS warning system advising trucks to avoid Highway 74
Presently, 74 is posted as an “Advisory Route,” which merely “advises” that trucks above a certain size should use another route.
The petition says that a Caltrans spokesperson outlined the process necessary to put restrictions in place: local authorities must make a proposal along with supporting data. The office of V. Manuel Perez has confirmed that the Supervisor “is asking the Riverside County Transportation Department to look into this request.”
Bourgeois’ family has been greatly affected by the crash. “This is the first horrific accident that has happened, but there have been many crashes on this highway.” “For over two decades I’ve commuted it. I have personal knowledge and experiences with these double trailers.” Bourgeois noted that last week she had seen a truck pulling a 20-car vehicle transport trailer on 74. “We now, as a family, are trying to create some restrictions. We want to make sure this does not happen to another family.”
Bourgeois’ family members still struggle with the grief of Tristin’s loss and are retraumatized daily. “We don’t want anyone to go through what we’re going through. All of us are from Anza, all of us commute down 74. We must pass the place where this horrendous accident happened — five days a week, ten times every week.
You can find Tina Bourgeois’ petition at: www.change.org/p/semi-trucks-ca-74-lives-are-in-danger-palms-to-pines-highway
