By Matt Browning
On Dec. 10, 2023, Madison and Monica Moore were involved in a fatal crash just three miles from their house. The other driver ran the stop sign, colliding with their vehicle and causing it to roll. Both died instantly. In the days following, this intersection was identified by Butler County Sheriff Monty Hughey as one of the five deadliest in Butler County. Madison, 16, and her mother Monica, 46, were both natives of Douglass. Madi was an active member of our SADD/SAFE group last year. Monica had coached several teams for many years.
Only 36 hours after the tragedy, Madison’s best friend and five classmates requested to speak
at the county commissioners meeting. In a room full of adults, the media, and county officials, these high school students gave passionate and composed speeches calling for action from the elected officials. They discussed their ideas to make the intersection safer and made it clear that they would not rest until changes were made. They called for rumble strips and larger LED stop signs to be installed at minimum but asked the county to do more. They said that as teenagers, if they were distracted that rumble strips would cause them to look up, that LED stop signs would get their attention, but a roundabout, speed reduction or four-way stop should be considered as well as increasing the traffic citations issued. Their voices were heard. A week and half after the crash the rumble strips went in. It took four hours. The LED stop signs have also been installed as well as the Sheriff increasing radar patrol of the area and issuing citations.
The students look at this achievement with bittersweetness. Their pleas also prompted the commission to launch studies at other deadly intersections in the county, Commissioner Herzet told the students this was the start, he was also asking the county to look into buying property at that intersection to improve visibility. These six students, in a time of great grief, took what they have learned through SAFE and chose to make changes in traffic safety that could save countless lives.
