BILLINGS — Another serious crash at the intersection of Monad Road and South 36th Street West has renewed calls from neighbors for stronger safety measures, less than two months after a fatal collision prompted the city to install flashing stop signs.
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The latest two-vehicle crash happened Sunday when witnesses said a driver traveling on South 36th Street West failed to stop at the intersection and collided with an SUV on Monad Road. The impact rolled the SUV onto its side and sent the other vehicle into a nearby drainage ditch. Police closed the intersection for several hours while crews responded.
The crash comes several weeks after 67-year-old Danette Jane Hill was killed in a two-vehicle collision at the same intersection on June 1, leading the city to install flashing lights on the stop signs controlling traffic on South 36th Street West.
Related: 'Tragedy': Fatal Billings West End crash adds to push for more traffic control
Neighbors say Sunday's collision was another painful reminder that more needs to be done. Carol Whittle, who has lived near the intersection for about two years, said crashes have become a regular occurrence outside her home.
"We were concerned shortly after moving in about the amount of accidents that were happening on Monad and 36th Street," Whittle said. "It was particularly disturbing when a lady was killed in an accident about six weeks ago."
Sunday's crash unfolded just outside her backyard, where she has a clear view of the road.
"My son heard the crash," she said. "We came out on our deck as people were climbing out of the SUV that had been T-boned and was on its side. The other vehicle was down in the city drainage ditch behind our yard."
Whittle said what frustrates her most is that many of the crashes happen under clear conditions. She also believes speeding contributes to the problem because drivers on Monad Road travel through a long stretch without stopping.
"A lot of these accidents happen in broad daylight. There's no obstructions. There's no bad weather," she said. "I don't know what it is about the intersection, but no matter what time of day, morning, afternoon, evening, it just seems like there's something that's not right."
Resident Jay Ettleman said he arrived at Sunday's crash scene and immediately recognized what he believes has become a familiar pattern.
"What I witnessed here is, like always, somebody blew the stop sign," Ettleman said. "The one person who wound up way down the end ran the stop sign and put a pregnant woman in danger."
Ettleman said the latest collision is especially difficult after years of warning city officials about the intersection's dangers. He said he has advocated for improvements at the intersection for about 15 years and has personally responded to eight crashes there in the past five years.
“I have to look at a memorial when I leave out of here now, and I shouldn't have to, because I warned the city there's going to be a death, and it happened,” he said. "I have been an advocate to get something on this intersection for 15 years. It's falling on deaf ears.”
Related: 'Ridiculous': Neighbors lament another crash at Billings West End intersection
While the flashing stop signs were installed after Hill's death, Ettleman believes they have not gone far enough. He wants the city to install either a traffic signal or a roundabout, saying that stronger traffic controls could prevent future crashes and reduce emergency responses.
“I am at my wit's end because people on Monad don't even yield to pedestrians. You cross this street with your life in your hands," said Ettleman. "Our neighborhood is demanding a light now.”
City Engineer Mac Fogelsong said change is coming.
“Part of the equation is driver behavior. That's a tricky one to engineer," he said. "But we're trying to be proactive and get this project prioritized and on the ground.”
The city has already made several changes this year, including installing larger stop signs and adding signs warning drivers that cross traffic does not stop.
A traffic study completed in January found that about 75% of drivers exceed the speed limit on Monad Road and concluded the intersection could benefit from either a mini-roundabout or curb extensions. Engineers determined that a four-way stop is not appropriate due to the higher traffic volumes on Monad Road.
Instead, the city is moving forward with plans for what could become Billings' first mini-roundabout. The city is working with HDR Engineering to design the project. Fogelsong said roundabouts help reduce severe crashes by slowing vehicles and changing the angle of collisions.
"Part of the logic behind the roundabout is you're slowing people down, and even if you do have a conflict, it's usually at a glancing angle, and it's not so severe," he said.
The project remains in the design phase and is expected to cost about $600,000. Construction could begin as early as late fall or early spring, according to Fogelsong.
“Please be patient. We are actively working on it. It's one of our top priorities right now, ... and we hope to get things on the ground soon," he said. “Watch your speed, drive the speed limit, be patient, be vigilant.”
For neighbors, however, the improvements cannot come soon enough, and they hope no one else gets hurt in the meantime.
"We're perplexed. We're frustrated," Whittle said. "We really would like to see the City Council make a better attempt than just putting up two stop signs on North and South 36th Street with little blinking lights saying 'stop.'"
“I know I'm being very blunt, but I'm tired. You guys got to do your job," said Ettleman. "Enough is enough."
