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For more than 30 years, the Pilot Club of Suffolk has sponsored the Safety Tree in partnership with the police department. The tree was lit Dec. 1 with green bulbs and will stay lit throughout the month. For every traffic related fatality in the city during December, a member of the police department will add a red bulb to the tree. 

Every year the tree is donated by the Knights of Columbus and is put up at the Suffolk Elks Lodge. 

Cathy Richards is a member of the Pilot Club’s projects committee and said it’s been at least three years that the Safety Tree has stayed completely green. 

“I’m hoping that it makes people aware of … things that are going on in the city, especially if you see red bulbs on the tree,” Richards said. “It just makes people aware that, ‘hey, I need to drive safer,’ especially during the month of December.”

Suffolk Police Chief James Buie mentioned that because there is an increase in people travelling during December due to the holidays, the Safety Tree is an important reminder to slow down and drive with caution. 

Pilot Club projects chair Debbie Corbett said she paid attention to the tree even before she was a member of the Pilot Club, hoping to see it all green every time.

“Just hearing people talk about it, they like to see it,” Corbett said. “They know what it represents.”

While the red bulbs represent traffic fatalities within the city, Corbett said she hopes the message carries over wherever people are travelling. 

“Our goal is to keep every bulb on the tree green indicating no traffic fatalities,” Buie said in a written statement. “During the holiday season, the Suffolk Police Department will be increasing patrols to ensure that our roadways stay safe. We want all of our Suffolk community to make it home safely for the holidays.”

After a Monday afternoon accident, police will be adding a red bulb to the tree.

According to a police report, at approximately 3:05 p.m. on Monday, a box truck was travelling eastbound when it hit a cushion truck. The driver of the box truck was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police also reminded drivers in the report that it is state law to slow down and move over for any flashing lights on the road.