Call for Safety at Rural Menasha, Harrison Crossing
By Michael King Post-Crescent Staff Writer - Mar. 31, 2007
Kurt and Debra Lubinski and their son Brad stand near the
intersection of County LP (Lake Park) and Manitowoc roads in
the Calumet County Town of Harrison. The crossing is the scene
of a November 2002 car crash involving the Lubinskis' daughter
Valerie (in picture), who died from her injuries March 7 after four
years in a coma. Post-Crescent photo by Kirk Wagner
MENASHA — Police Lt. Ron Bouchard believes the intersection of County LP and Manitowoc Road is "another serious accident or fatality waiting to happen."
An Appleton girl critically injured in a November 2002 crash at the intersection died March 7 after spending more than four years in a coma.
Now, another serious crash at the site on Tuesday has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the intersection.
The crash that eventually claimed the life of Valerie Lubinski, 20, prompted a reduced speed limit on LP from 55 mph to 45 mph and the trimming of some bushes considered a vision obstruction.
While the two most serious crashes at the intersection were due to driver error, Bouchard said he believes the close proximity of the house on the northwest corner, coupled with increased traffic from a nearby development, creates an unsafe crossing.
Motorists heading south on LP are lulled into a false sense of security, he said. "They're not realizing there might be an intersection there because of the way the house is positioned," Bouchard said.
Menasha controls only the southwest corner of the intersection while the remainder lies in the Calumet County Town of Harrison.
While driving to Appleton East High School that morning in 2002, then 16-year-old Valerie Lubinski pulled out from the Manitowoc Road stop sign into the path of a southbound truck on LP. She suffered a severe brain injury and was hospitalized for several months.
"We had hoped she would come around but she never did," her father Kurt said.
In late February, she had developed an infection.
"The doctors called a meeting and they felt we should let her go," Kurt said. But, in the end, "It was our decision" to stop the feeding. She lived for eight days and died surrounded by her family.
In Tuesday's crash, criminal charges are pending against a Menasha woman, who pulled out from the stop sign into the path of a vehicle heading south on LP, in the three-vehicle crash that sent several people to the hospital.
A citation for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing injury with a detectable amount of drugs in her blood has been issued to Tasha L. Stone, 24, of Menasha. She was listed in fair condition Thursday at Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah. No additional information was available Friday.
Bouchard realizes there is no easy solution but would like to see some changes explored to avoid further tragedies. "It's all about protecting people and saving lives and property," he said.
A day after the accident, Menasha crews installed a new stop sign (BlinkerSign® from TAPCO) with solar-powered red lights around the perimeter to address concerns by the property owner that eastbound motorists on Manitowoc Road frequently do rolling stops or fail to stop altogether at the stop sign.
"That house is a real problem," said Menasha Public Works Director Mark Radtke. "It's definitely a vision obstruction."
He wondered if a "blind intersection" sign for southbound traffic on LP might help enhance safety. "There's very little reaction time on the part of the driver on LP that, in itself, creates a dangerous situation," Radtke said.
"It's not the house," said Wayne Reetz, who has lived in the former cheese factory for 44 years. "It's just the people. Everybody's in such a rush, go, go, go. They can't even come to a full stop. All they've got to do is stop and look."
Reetz said he and his wife, Eleanor, were saddened to hear that Lubinski had died recently. "It's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that," he said. But, Reetz added, that both crashes were "just another case of not paying attention."
"It's a rural area that's turning urban," said Calumet County Highway Commissioner Mike Ottery. "It's an unfortunate situation but it's tied to what you want to spend."
He was not sure if state Department of Transportation funds for highway safety improvements could be sought to possibly help acquire and remove the home.
"Any intersection can be deadly," Ottery said. "That's why roundabouts are such a great thing. You're picking fenders up, you're not picking bodies up."