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Sawyer County committee reviews April fatal crash on Highway B; officials flag curve for study and low-cost countermeasures
Summary
Committee members discussed a single-vehicle fatality on April 18 on Highway B, noted three fatalities at the same curve over five years, and asked county staff to evaluate signage, chevrons and other countermeasures.
Sawyer County traffic-safety officials discussed an April 18 single-vehicle crash on Highway B that killed the driver and identified the curve as a recurring high-risk location.
Dan Contos, a Wisconsin DOT staff member, described the crash as a single-vehicle run-off-road rollover in which the driver was ejected. Contos said the crash narrative noted the driver was not wearing a seat belt or that belt use was unknown and that no alcohol or drugs were reported in the report. Contos added that this was the third fatal crash at or near that curve in a five-year span and said there had also been an injury crash earlier in the year at the same location.
Committee members and county highway staff discussed next steps, including reviewing the curve’s geometry and radius as part of a field evaluation and considering low-cost countermeasures such as chevrons, night arrows or edge-line rumble strips and additional warning signage. A county staff member noted there were currently no curve warning signs or edge-line rumble strips at the location.
Discussion vs. action: the meeting record shows committee members asked staff to look into the site and consider countermeasures; no formal policy or construction funding was approved at the meeting. The highway department noted the intersection will be reviewed for design and signage options and that any substantial changes would require identification of funding or further engineering work.
Why it matters: multiple severe crashes at the same curve suggest an engineering review may be warranted to identify low-cost mitigations or longer-term design changes to improve safety.
