Another fatality on Highway 51 and Highway H in Boulder Junction just three years after a previous fatality at the same location was discussed at the quarterly meeting of the Vilas County Highway Safety Committee.
According to Capt. Gerard Ritter of the Vilas County Sheriff's office all safety signs are there. “We have two stop signs on each side of the intersection, both right and left on H, and we have rumble strips previous to the intersection along with several 'stop ahead' signs,” Capt. Ritter said. “There were no witnesses to the last fatal accident when one vehicle failed to stop hitting the other and causing one death. We examined a cell phone and it was not in use at the time of the accident.”
Dept. of Transportation (DOT) traffic safety engineer Tony Kemnitz indicated it was either a fail to yield or a failure to stop. “The sight distance at the intersection is over 1,000 feet and if he didn't stop there's nothing we can do. It won't be until mid-November when our report is complete,” Kemnitz said, adding they will go back ten years and look at accident data at that location.
A public comment was to also look at the vehicle traveling on Hwy 51 that may have been responsible and to add flashing warning lights on H prior to the intersection or flashing red lights at the intersection. An overall diagram of the intersection appears to show a slight angle of approach of Highway H to 51 rather than a right angle.
Accidents in Vilas County since Jan. 1 to the end of August indicate a mix typical for a northern county like Vilas. Capt. Ritter reported 201 car-deer collisions, 2 unknown animals, 2 bear, 1 bike, 23 hit-and-run, 29 personal injury, 103 non-reportable, 195 with property damage, and 4 fatal so far this year compared to 11 in 2016. Statewide fatalities are 350 compared to 390 last year at this time.
Randy Wiessinger of the Dept. of Transportation indicated elderly drivers over age 65 are more prevalent and in Vilas County they were involved in 114 accidents out of 352 or about one-third and they comprise about one-third of the county population. While Wisconsin now has slightly greater than 90% seat belt compliance, the worst offenders remain male drivers of pickup trucks.
