County 'T' Crash September 2006

Deer Park Area News and Events

Woman who died in two-vehicle accident near New Richmond identified
New Richmond News
Published Monday, September 11, 2006

Deputies with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office investigate a collision between a large truck and a pick-up Monday morning at the intersection of County Road T and Highway 64 east of New Richmond.

A Clear Lake woman who was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle accident this morning (Monday) east of New Richmond has been identified by the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office as 44-year-old Donette Z. Leslie.

The accident occurred east of New Richmond at the intersection of Highway 64 and County Road T at 10:13 a.m. The Sheriff's Office said Leslie failed to stop the Ford pickup she was driving north on County Road T at the stop sign. Her truck struck a 26,000-pound straight truck carrying lumber that was being driven east on Highway 64 by David J. Melendez, 27, of Somerset.

Leslie was pronounced dead at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the sheriff. Melendez, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Westfields Hospital in New Richmond where he was treated and released.

Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said Leslie had worked a night shift at Andersen Windows and stopped at a store in Hudson on her way home. Hillstead said she probably fell asleep but there's no way to know for sure.

The collision was St. Croix County's fourth fatal accident in 2006. It was the fifth fatal accident at the Highway 64-County Road T intersection in the past eight years, Hillstead said.

More signs going up at deadly crossing
Karl Puckett New Richmond News
Published Friday, September 22, 2006

Three days following the fourth fatal accident in four years at County Road T and Highway 64 steps began to intensify warnings to motorists to stop.

Last Thursday, orange flags were placed on top of two stop signs that are located on both sides of County T going north. The second stop sign had just been added in March.

In addition, the county highway department is planning to:
• Replace two 36-inch stop signs with 48-inch stop signs.
• Erect a second, high-intensity “stop ahead” sign. Both of the signs will have a symbol “stop ahead.”
• Put down rumble strips in the northbound approach on County Road T.

“We’re not seeing a lot of crashes out there but the few crashes that have occurred have had severe consequences,” said Greg Helgeson, an Eau Claire-based traffic engineer for the state Department of Transportation.

The intersection is located five miles east of New Richmond.

On Sept. 11, Donette Z. Leslie, 44, Clear Lake, died after the pickup she was driving north on County Road T failed to stop at Highway 64 and struck a large truck.

The accident was the fourth involving a fatality since May 2002, and three of those involved vehicles traveling north on County Road T that failed to stop at Highway 64. Sheriff Dennis Hillstead recalls a fifth fatal accident at the intersection prior to that.

“It has an unusually high number of fatalities,” Hillstead said.

Highway officials said they are somewhat perplexed about the northbound County Road T accidents. The intersection is actually more hidden when traveling from the south, they said. Three of the recent fatal accidents occurred during the day and most of the motorists involved were local residents presumably familiar with the intersection.

“Everything out there meets the standards but there’s something going on,” said Jim Harer, the St. Croix County Highway Department’s patrol superintendent.

Transportation and law enforcement officials with the state and St. Croix County met at the intersection last Thursday.

Highway 64 is scheduled for improvements from New Richmond to Four Corners, possibly in 2009. Grade or geometric improvements to the intersection will be considered at that time, Helgeson said.

Crosses marking the site of accident fatalities remain standing at the intersection of County Road T and Highway 64 east of New Richmond. Photo By Karl Puckett
Deadly crossing