Town focuses on intersection as crash claims another life

The Town of Port Washington is continuing to look at ways to improve safety at the intersection of Mink Ranch Road and Highway KK, officials said Monday — a week after Plan Commission member Dale Noll, 63, died of complications from injuries he suffered in a fatal collision at the crossing in September.

Noll’s mother-in-law, Nelda Bartz, was killed in the Sept. 4 accident.

Town Chairman Mike Didier said Monday that he recently spoke to the town’s traffic engineer, Dave Brose of EMCS Inc., about conducting a safety evaluation of the intersection — something the board approved last year.

“He said it’s in the planning,” Didier said, noting that Brose will make recommendations to the Town Board about any potential changes to improve safety.

“I suspect those trees on the corners are going to have to come down.”

Didier noted that the stop signs on Mink Ranch Road are in the shadow of the trees, making them difficult to see at times.

The town has already installed signs warning drivers on Mink Ranch Road that traffic on Highway KK does not stop, Didier said,

When the signs were approved last fall, Supr. Greg Welton said, “If that stops one accident, it’s probably worth doing.”

The Sept. 4 accident seriously injured not just Noll but his wife Jeannie.

It happened when Noll was driving his Chevrolet Equinox north on Highway KK and a Pontiac driven by Aryanna Wendtland pulled out from Mink Ranch Road onto the highway, colliding with the SUV.

Authorities said at the time that Wendtland may have slowed or stopped at Highway KK but, in an attempt to continue east on Mink Ranch Road pulled into the path of Noll’s vehicle.

Bartz, 89, died hours after the accident.

The Nolls, Wendtland and her 8-year-old passenger were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Wendtland was cited for failure to yield the right of way causing death.

Didier said last fall that Ozaukee County officials said there had been eight accidents at the intersection from 2011 to 2020.

Five were caused when westbound vehicles stopped and proceeded into the intersection because they didn’t see traffic on Highway KK or thought they could beat the traffic, he said.