–The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors heard discussion today about the need for safety improvements at a rural intersection near Algona where an Emmetsburg woman died in a 2-vehicle crash last week. 47-year-old Carolee Wise died on April 28th after her vehicle was hit broadside by a semi at the intersection of County Roads B40 (210th Street) and P30 (90th Avenue), 2 miles west of Algona. The initial crash report from the Iowa State Patrol says the semi did not stop at the intersection prior to the collision. Elizabeth Grimm with Kossuth County EMS presented area crash data to the board as part of the discussion.
Grimm collected accident data from the Iowa Department of Transportation dating back to 2018 at intersections controlled by the county that were caused by a driver failing to obey a stop sign. 49 crashes met the criteria, and were scored based on frequency and severity, with major injuries or fatalities receiving higher totals. The data highlighted four high-risk intersections across Kossuth County.
Grimm says the data indicates that some sort of safety enhancement is warranted.
The data also breaks down which direction of travel produces more accidents at this intersection.
The board directed County Engineer Doug Miller to look at ways to upgrade safety at the intersection and will look at both short-term and long-term possiblities at their meeting next week.
