By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
A week after the death of a 21-year-old man following a crash at the intersection of highways 36 and 83 on the Burlington bypass, much is still unknown about factors that let to the collision itself.
Conflicting reports – and no official accident reports from the Racine County Sheriff’s Department – have created confusion as to who was at fault in the two-vehicle collision that killed Tyler Brott, a Town of Burlington resident, on Sept. 22.
The press release issued by the Sheriff’s Office following the crash said initial investigation indicated that speed and failure to obey a traffic signal may be contributing factors in the crash.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has pledged to start work on what may have been a factor in the crash.
Mayor Bob Miller said last week – about 16 hours after the crash – that the DOT had agreed to install dedicated turn arrows at the intersection.
Whether the lack of dedicated turn signals – or other factors such as speed or even alcohol played a part – have yet to be released. Miller said that this solution is one that the city has been pushing for since the intersection opened, and should resolve at least one danger.
“We’ve had conversations with the state over the turn signals,” Miller said. “We have yet to reference lowering the speed limit. It’ll be the next step we take.”
The speed through the intersection differs depending on which highway a driver is taking. Traffic on Highway 83 – both coming into Burlington and leaving it – is 35 miles an hour.
The traffic on Highway 36, the bypass portion of the intersection, has a speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
Miller said he wasn’t sure what the speed limit would be lowered to, if at all, saying it “could be anywhere from 55 on down.”
Miller said it is guesswork right now until the DOT gets involved.
“I don’t know if the DOT will agree to lower it,” he said.
The lack of details surrounding the accident, Miller said, makes it hard to know exactly what the fix at the intersection should be.
“Until we have that in our hand, it’s hard to speculate,” Miller said.
No further updates were available on the condition of David Henning, 55, who was the other driver involved. He had been taken by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital, but was not in the Wauwatosa hospital’s patient listing Tuesday night. His injuries were initially described by sheriff’s officials as serious, but non-life threatening.
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Perhaps the results of an investigation would have been made sooner had the law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the crash had occurred had done its job. Why didn’t the City of Burlington PD handle the investigation as it was supposed to?
Jim, according to everyone I have spoken with, this accident was actually the Town of Burlington’s jurisdiction, and therefore, it would be handled by the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.
Thanks for your quick response, Jennifer, but I’m still convinced the accident happened in the City. An examination of the map at City Hall as well as conversations with a couple of City officers confirms this. The issue is, if my assumption is correct, why wasn’t the report taken by a City police officer? Generally when a unit from a different jurisdiction comes upon an incident, their job is to secure the scene until a jurisdictional officer arrives. I’m quite certain this tragic accident was not handled by the correct agency, for whatever reason. None of this, of course, mitigates the tragic loss of the young man involved. May he rest in peace.
Yes, a review of the Racine County GIS web site at http://maps.sewrpc.org/racinemapping/Racine.asp shows that although the bypass in that area is in the town of Burlington, the east-westerly portion at the north end of the Highway P exit is clearly and completely within the Burlington city limits. Reference the property parcel detail tax key, 206021905069000.