School and law enforcement officials agree that the actions being taken by the South Dakota Department of Transportation will increase the safety of the intersection at Sturgis Brown High School.

The measures were taken after public concern about the safety of the intersection after a fatal accident occurred there March 19.

But a second accident at the intersection barely a month later put the intersection under more scrutiny and caused students and staff more worry about the intersection.

Sturgis Brown principal Jeff Simmons said the April 22 collision between a student and the school's liaison police officer was "very concerning (and) disturbing."

"It makes you nervous," he said. "You think about having an accident all the time. And it's unfortunate."

Sgt. Darrel Hatzenbuhler of the Sturgis Police Department was pursuing a speeder while traveling eastbound on S.D. Highway 34 past the high school that Tuesday when he collided with a car driven by 17-year-old student Jillian Cordova.

Neither was seriously injured.

The accident came a little more than a month after a fatal accident at the same intersection. Ashley Nelson was killed March 19 when the vehicle she was traveling was struck in the passenger-side door by a pickup as the car she was riding in was crossing S.D. Highway 34 from the school to Fort Meade.

The DOT plans to add rumble strips, extend the 45 mph speed zone and put better signage in the area. Construction on those additions will likely begin soon, in early to mid-May, according to DOT region traffic engineer Doug Kinniburgh.

The DOT held meetings with school and law enforcement officials before making the decision to improve safety of the intersection.

Simmons said the administration agrees with the DOT's decision on the intersection since the DOT is an "expert" on highway issues. But he said school officials are talking about making changes to the part of the intersection that's on school property.

Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush said the Sturgis Police Department has always been "real concerned" with the area and is continuing to monitor it. He said he hopes the new signage from the DOT will bring awareness to the intersection.

Bush said there have also been discussions to put permanent dynamic speed signs, which record and display the speed of passing cars, near the intersection. He said the area cannot be officially designated a school zone, since state law requires school zones to be 15 mph. That would be too slow for the highway, he said.

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin, who has children at the school, said the second accident increased the urgency of improving the intersection's safety.

Merwin said he would like to see the speed limit dropped to 35 mph on the road leading up to the school and have it change to 45 mph at the Kickstart Travel Center.

He said he understands that the DOT has processes to go through, and thinks their plan could possibly work. It's hard to say because they haven't had a chance to implement it yet, Merwin said.

"I guess I'm willing to see if the things they've talked about will take care of this," he said. "If they will that's fine."

He said the actions will no doubt help the situation, but there may be a need for additional measures.

"I know that what they're planning on doing certainly is going to help the situation," he said. "It may or may not solve everything."

The main problem with the intersection is that young drivers have difficulty judging the speed of cars that cruise by at 45 mph and faster if passing motorists speed, Merwin said. He estimates that many drivers go past at 60 mph or more.

Jake Roman, an 18-year-old senior at Sturgis Brown, thinks that cars often drive by the school at speeds well over the posted limit.

"Many times people are going 60 or 70 around here," he said.

Roman said the second accident heightened the awareness of students and they are driving more carefully.

He thinks the changes the DOT has planned will help.

"I really think it would," he said, adding that more strict attention to speeders would also help. "I think if there was more police attention over here there would be less accidents."

Specifically, the DOT plans to erect signs east and west of the school property to call attention to the fact that high school traffic is entering the roadway, Kinniburgh said.

The DOT hasn't decided on exact locations yet. Adjacent to the signs will be "rumble strips" to slow down cars. Kinniburgh said the layout will be similar to the area of U.S. Highway 16 leading up to Catron Boulevard in Rapid City.

Those strips will "let drivers know something is ahead," Kinniburgh said.

The signs have been ordered and could arrive as soon as this week. The DOT hopes to eventually get flashing yellow lights to put on top of the signs.

In addition, the DOT plans on increasing the size of the 45 mph signs from Blanche Street on out by 6 inches in both height and width.

Kinniburgh said the DOT will continue to monitor the situation.

"If these other measures don't seem to improve the conditions there with regard to safety then we can discuss that even further," he said.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com.