BILLINGS— Billings city engineering has added flashing lights to the stop signs at the intersection of Monad Road and South 36th Street West, following a fatal crash at the intersection three weeks ago.
Sixty-seven-year-old Danette Jane Hill was killed in a two-vehicle crash June 1. Billings police told MTN the crash is under investigation and declined to release further details.
Watch the report below:
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Hill's son, Bryce Hill, said safety will come down to the drivers, regardless of traffic controls, such as the new flashing lights.
“Unless people take the traffic laws seriously and abide by them, it won't make a difference,” said Hill in an interview with MTN. “The only way to fix it is if we all decide we're going to be better or if we start to enforce the laws a little bit harder too.”
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He and his family are continuing to process the shock of the tragic crash.
“It still just doesn't feel real, right? It feels like she's going on a trip,” said Hill. “But it's a longer trip than anticipated.”
The intersection has been a topic of concern for nearby residents for years. Residents told MTN last year that the intersection has an unusually high number of crashes.
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One neighbor who has spoken up for years, Jay Ettleman, said he wished the city had taken more action sooner.
“I will say thank you to the city for trying, but you gotta react a little quicker,” said Ettleman. “I feel… all accidents are preventable, especially death, and this could have been prevented.”
He told MTN he appreciates the new flashing lights but wants to see additional action.
“On a bright sunny day, you can't see the lights flashing as it is,” said Ettleman.
Resident complaints prompted city engineers to conduct a traffic study in January, which found 75% of drivers speed on Monad Road and that the intersection could benefit from a mini roundabout or curb extenders.
Billings City Council member Mike Boyett told MTN the intersection has moved higher up on the city’s priority list.
“We have a lot of roads. I mean, we can't fix them all at the same time. So, we have to prioritize,” said Boyett. “This is going to move up the food chain.”
Boyett encourages drivers to stop speeding.
“We need to slow down. That's the bottom line. If we slow down, we wouldn't have majority of these problems,” said Boyett. “But there are some intersections that need help. And this is one of them. And we'll work on it. And we will continue to work on it. And we're not going to forget about it. That's my guarantee.”
