SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. — A Sheboygan Falls intersection has become a source of fear for local residents who say close calls and fatal crashes have become all too common.
Julie Hegner, who lives near the intersection and travels through it frequently, reached out to me about her concerns.
"It's scary, you know, almost getting hit, having to veer off on the side of the road," Hegner said.
She reports that vehicles often fail to stop at stop signs or cut in front of those who have the right of way.
"Some of them may miss cars by one or two car-lengths," Hegner said.
For Hegner, the issue is deeply personal. Her son lost his best friend when a driver failed to stop at a stop sign in a different part of Sheboygan County several years ago.
Watch: Residents call for safety improvements at deadly Sheboygan County intersection
"He was 28, unfortunately, leaving a six-month-old baby," Hegner said.
Memorial sites on the corner of Highway 32 and County Road J serve as somber reminders of lives lost due to reckless driving.
The intersection of Highway 32 and County Road J has seen nearly 20 collisions in the past 10 years, resulting in three deaths, according to the UW Traffic Operations and Safety Lab.
"Almost every other year, there's something that happens,"
said Daniel Brand, who lives on the corner of the intersection.
He points to excessive speed as another major factor contributing to the danger.
"Everybody's a race car driver on the road... [they] squeal their tires and get a ways down that road as fast as they can," Brand said.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) has confirmed it has an intersection safety improvement project in the works. While specific design elements haven't been finalized, adjustments are expected within the next six years, if not earlier.
"I appreciate you coming to talk to me about this," Hegner said. "Because it's been a concern of mine for quite a while now."
The WDOT says it will host a public input session in the coming months, where residents can express their concerns about the intersection. A date is not yet set.
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