Kim Christiansen, a Soda Springs resident, told the City Council he struck a young bicyclist at the Highway 30 crosswalk near City Park on Oct. 3 and asked the council to press the state for safety improvements.

Christiansen said the truck parked at the crossing had a camper shell that “blocked my view of the warning lights,” and that after glancing away he “slammed on my brakes and struck a young lady.” He said he called 911, that emergency medical technicians attended the scene, and that he “took full responsibility.”

The child’s mother, identified in the meeting as Savannah, said her daughters were not supposed to be crossing without an adult and described the spot as “a very dangerous road.” She urged the council to press the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) for changes, suggesting measures such as overhead or advance warning flashers and a button-activated crossing signal.

Why this matters: the crosswalk serves families walking between City Park and nearby businesses and schools. Speakers said near-misses are frequent and that current markings and flashing devices have not prevented close calls.

Council response and next steps
Mayor Alan told the meeting, “I contacted the, Idaho Transportation Department's district engineer yesterday and to make sure he was aware of the incident. And, and he, wants me to, reach out to him tomorrow and Okay. Relay what has said and concerns brought forth.” Council members and the mayor encouraged Christiansen and Savannah to attend an upcoming ITD public-input meeting the mayor said will be scheduled in December or January. Council members described the highway crossing as state-owned but said the city would provide “ammunition” to the state and coordinate with ITD on possible changes.

What was proposed and what remains undecided
Speakers suggested several possible changes: advance warning signs located before the crosswalk, raising or relocating flashing lights so drivers can see them earlier, improved pavement striping and a push-button-activated signal that would temporarily stop traffic. Council members and staff noted trade-offs the state typically weighs, including snowplow operations, impacts to turning lanes, the difficulty of lowering posted speeds on a state highway and the cost of a pedestrian overpass. No specific engineer plan or timeline was adopted by the council at the meeting.

Context and community reaction
Kim Christiansen said the injured girl “is gonna be okay,” described his emotional reaction and said he has exchanged messages with the child’s mother. Savannah said she had already attempted to contact state officials and described receiving “the runaround” when she tried that on her own. Both speakers urged the council to push the state to act so a future incident would not be worse.

Provenance: the council’s discussion of the incident and the replies from the mayor and other council members occurred during the public-comment period and again during project updates when members discussed an upcoming ITD public-input meeting about Highway 30 redesign.