Indiana lawmakers paused action this week on a bill which aims to prevent crashes caused by dangerously overgrown rural intersections after concerns arose about liability.
The bill originated after Riley Settergren, 17, died in a 2017 collision at a Hancock County intersection.
Jay Settergren, his father, testified Monday before lawmakers, urging stronger rules to prevent similar tragedies.
“Just days before his senior year, Riley was taken from us by a piece of farm machinery that could not see at an intersection because it was obstructed by corn,” Settergren recounted. “They had to move out further into the road. The truck Riley was a passenger in was struck. Riley was killed instantly.”
The current proposal would mandate property owners or renters near rural intersections clear all vegetation or obstacles above three feet, ensuring drivers can see approaching traffic. However, farm groups oppose the measure, citing liability risks and potential loss of productive farmland.
After Riley’s death, his family created a foundation honoring their son, placing caution signs at intersections statewide to alert drivers to the risks near farmland. Riley’s father stressed to lawmakers while signs help, permanent visibility improvements require enforceable legislation.
“We need to move to the next level,” Settergren urged. “We need help to pass this putting responsibility on the landowners and the lessees to make sure that they are maintaining their corners, and their crops, and their properties.”
Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, said legislators intend to amend House Bill 183, shifting emphasis away from strict sightline triangles, toward maintaining existing road right-of-ways.
2 comments
We live in a rural area surrounded by corn fields every year. It is really nice the years soybeans are grown as we can see what is coming. Some, a very few, have taken upon theirselves not to plant as close as they can to intersections. We do appreciate this. It would not disrupt their harvest if they just allowed 10-15 feet at intersections to be clear. Many times we have had to pull out to see past the corn for oncoming traffic.
It’s not only farmland, there are intersections where people have “decorative” shrubs that completely block line of sight down the road.