Police crash reconstruction experts estimate that the surviving driver in a red Mustang was driving at least 44 mph -- well above the posted limit of 35 mph.

Those of us who were on the scene after the crash and saw the horrendous damage believe she was going even faster than 44. Yet the Mustang driver was not charged with speeding.

Speeding is clearly a problem on this residential stretch of Connecticut Avenue. Fences, trees, road signs, houses and bus shelters have all been damaged or destroyed by crashes in recent months and years.

A spot speed check by the State Highway Administration confirmed that around 90 percent of cars exceed the speed limit near this intersection.

Several factors conspired to cause this crash including, including a poorly placed utility pole and the failure of Ms. Barry to yield to oncoming traffic. But if the surviving driver had not been speeding, the crash might have been avoided and Ms. Barry might still be alive today.

The Mustang's driver probably didn't even see Ms. Barry's car. There were no skid marks.

She was driving on a suspended license. She had even received speeding tickets before near the same location.

Montgomery County should make it a policy to charge drivers with a speeding violation when speed is a contributing factor and a serious injury or death occurs. This creates accountability and allows us to better document and correct our speeding problems.

In the past weeks, there have been at least three more crashes near the site where Ms. Barry lost her life. Local officials have asked State Highway Administration engineers to make the road a little bit less like an interstate. They decline to make improvements even after being presented with evidence of fatal crashes. Their reason -- the driver was not charged with speeding.

Al Carr, Kensington

The writer is a member of the Kensington Town Council.