Commissioner urges Indiana Department of Transportation to add safety measures on Indiana 63 after serious crash

A Vigo County commissioner urged county staff to press the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for safety improvements on Indiana 63 at Durkee Ferry Road following a serious crash that injured the commissioner's wife's grandmother.

"There was a wreck on Indiana 63 at Durkee Ferry Road, which was her grandmother. I don't know how many more times a fatality or a wreck is gonna have to happen on Indiana 63... Jen's grandma has 2 broken legs, a broken hip, a broken arm, and several things that's wrong on her insides," the commissioner said during the public comment portion of the meeting. The commissioner said the family member suffered multiple severe injuries.

The commissioner said county staff have taken local steps including cutting grass, removing trees and installing signage, but asked that the county pursue additional measures with INDOT. "I'm not saying it needs a stoplight. I don't think a stoplight's necessary there, but flashing neon signs, yield signs, a u-turn or whatever they've done in Clinton, north of Clinton is absolutely necessary on those roads," the commissioner said. He said there have been "at least 5 or 6 in the last 4 or 5 years" that were fatalities or near-fatal accidents in that area.

The commissioner said he would "try to push for that within DOT here over the next couple weeks" and asked other commissioners and staff who travel the area to help follow up. County highway staff present at the meeting were named earlier in the agenda but the meeting did not record an INDOT response or a formal motion directing county staff to act.

Ending: Commissioners and staff scheduled no formal vote at the meeting; the item was raised as a request for staff to pursue state-level safety options with INDOT.