Streator requests traffic controls at rural intersection following fatal crash last summer

The Streator City Council is asking the Illinois Department of Transportation to add safety measures at the intersection of Illinois Route 18 and East 15th Road after a fatal crash and multiple accidents in recent years.

The intersection is located just west of Streator city limits, has long been considered dangerous by both city officials and residents.

A fatal crash occurred there in August last year and city officials say there have been multiple accidents at the site over the years.

Jordan Russow, a resident who started a petition and installed a roadside memorial following the death of her significant other at the intersection, spoke to council members about the dangers she’s personally witnessed at the site.

“I’ve seen a lot of very near misses, a lot of close calls,” Russow said. “People speed through that intersection, they blow through stop signs, they try to do burnouts through the stop signs.”

According to Russow’s independent research, she found 23 crashes recorded at the intersection from 2014 to 2023, resulting in 30 injuries and one on-scene fatality.

She added that those figures do not yet include 2024 or the rollover accident that already occurred earlier this year.

“All I’m asking is just for support in raising awareness and alertness of drivers out there, trying to make it safer for everybody,” Russow said.

Council member David Reed commended Russow for bringing the issue forward.

“I understand it’s not easy for young people to get the state’s attention on these types of matters, and I think the city requesting this could go a long way,” Reed said.

The resolution, approved unanimously, directs the city to send a formal request to IDOT to evaluate the intersection and take action to improve public safety.

According to city documents, a certified copy of the resolution will be forwarded to the Illinois Secretary of Transportation, the Region 2 Engineer and the Local Roads Engineer for District 3.