Last Friday, after another day working on the state budget, I needed to leave a little early to get to a meeting at my daughter’s high school at 5 p.m.

I decided to take I-5 instead of SR-512 because I thought it might be a little faster. I was wrong.

Traffic grounded to a halt. Police and State Patrol cars sped by, indicating a problem up ahead. I finally made it to a sign that said there was police activity ahead and that the three left lanes were closed. I thought it was odd that it referred to “police activity” rather than an accident. But I was frustrated at the delay, and worried I would not make it to the meeting.

An hour or so later, I finally made it to the site of the activity just south of the Tacoma Mall. I saw a single car in the middle of the highway with the roof caved in and the hood damaged. It seemed as though something had fallen on top of it rather than it being involved in an accident with another car.

I didn’t think much about the incident that weekend, but when I got back on I-5 Monday and drove by the scene, it made me think about what might have happened. I asked around and learned that a middle school student had jumped off the overpass into the traffic, taking her own life – a tragedy that shook me then and remains with me still.

I’ve driven by that site now a few more times, and I can’t help but think about what I could have done to prevent this horrific event. What if we invested more funding in mental health so this young woman had better access to help? What if we invested more in our school system so that there were trained school employees who could better recognize students in trouble and get them the help they need?

There is nothing I or anyone can do to bring this young woman back. I did not know her, but I do know there are many like her who need our help.

As a legislator, I am focused even more on the needs in our community and the investments we need to make in education and mental health. As we finalize the state’s operating budget, I hope and pray it provides the level of resources necessary to prevent the next tragedy from happening. I will do all I can to accomplish this goal.

As the father of three daughters, including two teenagers, I can’t imagine the pain this young woman’s family is facing. But it did drive home the fact that the state budget isn’t just columns of numbers. The decisions we make truly impact the lives of the people we represent.

We can make the right choices to help troubled teenagers and others so that, hopefully, no other family will face such a devastating loss.

Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington(47th Legislative District), is Washington State House Majority Leader. Reach him at 360-786-7858 or pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov.