Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp (pictured) says before the mid-July crash that killed two teenage boys, his department asked IDOT to make the intersection of US-51 and Leafland Street in Assumption safer, and his people were told IDOT only considers fatalities.
Kettlekamp and other elected officials held a news conference Monday near the intersection to call on IDOT to prioritize the matter, now that Keegan Virden and Connor Rowcliff, both students at Central A & M High School, have died.
IDOT has numerous possibilities at its disposal, such as traffic calming measures or, as one leader pointed out, just a speed limit sign, which has worked near a day care center in Assumption.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) admonished Gov. JB Pritzker the state has more money than ever for such projects – much of it thanks to increased gas taxes.
Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Wappel emailed the following statement:
“The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be making short-term improvements which includes the addition of flashers to the cross roads signs. The Department has been gathering data and has requested a Road Safety Assessment (RSA). A RSA is a formal, independent and comprehensive safety performance review of a road conducted by an experienced team of safety specialists. Several factors are considered, including the types and frequency of crashes, crash patterns, weather conditions, time of day, roadway surface, sightlines and lighting conditions. Conclusions and recommendations are driven and supported by data, engineering and observations in the field, along with the collaboration with multiple agencies, including local law enforcement. “