KBBN and KCNI Radio - Broken Bow, NE

Testimonials
Tales of Countless Close Calls & Support From Hwy 2 Drivers

I really don't like to recall the accident my seven month older daughter and I had at the Memorial Drive and Highway 2 intersection. The last time an accident happened there in late 2011 I was on my way into work. As I came around the curve from the north all I saw was dirt and smoke in the air. A life was lost that day. I knew it was bad and had to pull off the road because I was hyperventilating. My husband talked me through it over the phone while I sat there.

I never will forget the day. I was heading home after work and getting Olivia from daycare. My husband was in town and he headed to McDonalds for a snack. I remember heading around the curve and looking down at my speed and was about to set my cruise. I didn't have time to do it as a truck came off the Callaway road from the west and drove into our path. I remember thinking “this is not happening” as I hit the brakes and made a split decision to turn the car northwest. I didn't recall any vehicle coming from the north and I knew there was a light pole in the northeast ditch. Olivia was behind me in the back seat in her infant seat. I turned the car so we were away from the pickup and tried to protect us from any impact on the right side.

It felt heaven like at impact. I am sure the actual moment is blocked from my memory as it was just white clouds and a light feeling. It was probably the air bag, the powder from the bag, and us spinning that made it seem so. Whatever the reason, I don’t remember it.

After the impact, we were facing west/southwest. Olivia was crying. I looked around and saw the other driver upside down in his truck. The force of my car had pushed the vehicle into the ditch and it flipped over. He was screaming for help and all I could think about was getting to my baby. My door was jammed tight and I couldn’t get out. From there it all went fuzzy. There was a lady, Terri Parsons, who came upon the accident and called 911. I think I remember her talking to me and being very calming. Somehow I was able to get out of the car and immediately fell down from the pain in my right knee. I had to get to Olivia though! Before I knew it the ambulance and law enforcement were there helping. The majority of the ambulance crew knew Olivia and she responded to them immediately. She stopped crying and smiled . The Sheriff at the time, Ted Henderson, calmed me down as much as he could with his soft voice and dry hanky. We were transported to the hospital and stayed overnight in one of the hospice rooms. Olivia had powder from the air bag on her so my husband immediately helped give her a bath. After all that the only mark on her little body was a bruise on her chest from the infant carrier. It resembled a superman emblem. I had three hairline cracks in my right knee cap and a bruise from the seatbelt. We were very fortunate. The only limitations I had over the next two years were being unable to bend on that knee and give Olivia a bath. We adapted.

The State Patrol came to the hospital that night and completed reports. Officer Jeff Rogers told us when the call came in about an accident involving an infant that there was a high probability of an infant fatality. He was so surprised to see we were all doing well and Olivia was unharmed. They did ask to take the infant carrier for demonstrations on the importance of safety belts. The carrier did its job. The impact had cracked the base. It saved her life!

After that accident, I had a really hard time approaching any intersection with any amount of traffic. I even changed the way we drove to work and daycare for three years. It was really difficult to come to town on Highway 2.

Because of the correct use of our seat belt and child restraint, Olivia and I were chosen to receive a Nebraska State Patrol Seat Belt Safety Award the following year. Our story was an example of the importance of restraining yourself and your loved one while traveling in a vehicle.

I practice defensive driving every day when traveling to and from Broken Bow. I turn my cruise off north of Grassland Hospital and am mindful of any vehicles in driveways and intersections. If I want to turn at Memorial Drive and there is approaching vehicles from any direction, I have chosen to drive all the way around through town and then go north on 10th Avenue. It gives me piece of mind and I am not willing to gamble at that intersection. When the road conditions are poor and I have traffic behind me, I choose to drive all the way around through Broken Bow rather than turn east on Memorial and risk a pileup and another accident.

I haven’t had any dreams about car accidents for a long time. I did struggle for many months about what if Olivia had been taken from us that January 30th. It was difficult to get past the possibility of my being responsible for taking my daughter’s life. What would I have done differently? Ten years has passed since that day. Olivia is now 10 and a fifth grader at Anselmo-Merna School. We are thankful for her being a strong, healthy and happy young lady with a zest for learning and life!

It would be my hope the State of Nebraska would look beyond the numbers on reports. What does one really represent? One is a Mom or Dad, husband or wife, daughter or son, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, grandparent, friend or co-worker.
— Sheri Bryant, Broken Bow
Harvest 2010 I had a near miss that could have taken my life. I live in Merna and I was on Hwy 2 headed to work in Broken Bow. It was a little before 8:00 in the morning and a semi-truck was following me. I came by Grassland and a car had stopped and had their blinker on to turn left onto the hospital/country club road. I had come to a complete stop waiting for the car ahead of me to turn. That car was waiting for a vehicle coming from the south to go by before they turned. Luckily there was no one waiting on the Callaway road because the truck behind me was going to fast to come to a complete stop. I could see him coming up behind me but there was nothing I could do. Luckily he had room to go on the right side of me and through the Callaway road and did not come to a complete stop until he was almost to the radio station drive on Hwy 2. His truck and trailor was completely on past the Callaway road turn off. I could tell the truck driver was very shook up when he was sitting in his truck after coming to a complete stop on the side of the road. As I thanked God my Guardian Angel was with me that day.
— Deanne Halstead
We live at Callaway and shop in Broken Bow often, so we're very familiar with the Hwy 2 intersection by the golf course. The speed limit should be reduced in all four directions extending out to Grassland Clinic. We've had an occasion to be pulling a loaded trailer to Broken Bow and stopping at the intersection coming from Callaway. Visibility from there looking north is limited by the curve in Hwy. 2, and when you pull a loaded trailer onto Hwy. 2 going south, it's very common to be quickly overtaken by traffic coming toward town.

Irv Haidle, the man from Montana who died of injuries suffered in a collision at that intersection on Sept. 28, 2011 was a friend of mine, and the founder of the company I work for. His wife is still in a skilled care facility in Billings, MT, and the other passenger from Iowa will probably always have neck problems as a result of that accident.

We've also been leaving Broken Bow and signaling to turn west off Hwy. 2 onto the Callaway Rd. and been overtaken from the rear by speeding traffic heading north. With current speed limits, by the time people get west of Pamida, they are accelerating beyond safe limits for that intersection.

A change in speed limits would take some enforcement and signage; maybe even some flashing lights. Whatever it takes, it should be done.
— Mack Deveraux, Callaway
I've never been involved in an auto accident on West Highway 2, but I have witnessed a number of close calls. I drive on highways a lot due to my business. I have thought the speed limit of 65mph on the "S" curve on West highway 2 was too fast. Heading East on Highway 2, West of Broken Bow on the first big curve the speed limit should be reduced to 55mph. Then in the area of Grassland Veterinary the speed limit should reduce to 45mph. I believe dropping the speed limit from 65 to 45 is just too quick especially in any area that has so many intersections/distractions. Also, I think there should be turning lanes at the intersection of Highway 2 and Memorial Drive for motorist turning East or West.
— Darren Kirkpatrick, Broken Bow
On May 27, 2009, a co-worker and I were involved in an accident on the corner of Hwy 2 and Ryno Road, turning left to return to work at the Custer County Shop. With traffic approaching, we waited for two oncoming cars with blinker on and brake lights applied. Suddenly we were hit from the rear by a farm pickup pulling a heavy piece of equipment. We were shot down the road about 300 feet and were hit a second time. There were no skid marks and the driver said he didn't see us! The pickup we were driving was totaled and frame bent. Both of us received medical treatment and released thankful to be alive. It was estimated that the driver who hit us was going 65 mph. I would like to see the speed limit decreased to 45 mph and possibly a turning lane for that particular area so as not to endanger travelers waiting to turn.
— Ed Heath, Broken Bow
I feel that the speed limit does need to be lowered and traffic lanes need to be added to this portion of the highway. I am in law enforcement and have investigated numerous accidents in this area. I have felt for a long time that something needs to be done.
— Dan Osmond, Broken Bow
I am a frequent visitor to Broken Bow to see my mother. I have seen a motorcycle accident on the curve near where the O.K. Luther barn used to be. Too high a speed to make the corner. The rider was injured and taken to the hospital. More recently, I was eastbound on Highway 2 turning onto the road that goes past the Country Club. My turn signals had been turned on a great distance from the intersection. As I was in the process of turning, a semi carrying large round hay bales came up behind me so fast I had to make the turn, at what I consider, too high a speed. I was afraid the car I was driving was going to roll. It didn't, but the semi never slowed down and narrowly missed the rear of my car. Crazy! I don't look forward to making the turn at that intersection again. Slower speeds on that section of Highway 2 make sense to me.
— Pam Campbell
We feel that West Hwy 2 is hazardous. We haven't experienced any real close calls, but have seen several near misses. It is definitely an area that as traffic increases... accidents will be a probability not a possibility. Not only should they reduce the speed, they should add more lanes, especially turning lanes. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to voice our opinions!
— Mike and Sally Bell, Broken Bow
There are multiple stories that I could share but one is about coming into the curve just North of Grassland with a fully loaded grain semi. I always slow down as I come into that curve because I had someone pull out in front of me where the road comes in from West Merna Table and I almost drove right through them. This time I did like always and slowed to 55 MPH, on rounding the curve I find a dog food tractor trailer completely blocking the highway as they were backing into Grassland. I got stopped just 10 foot from hitting them (my brakes were smoking) and if I had been going 65 MPH it would have been impossible. A side note is that there were 3 cars setting on the other side of the truck that also would have been hit.

It only makes common sense to lower the speed limit to 55 coming into that curve and 45 at the clinic. After all it will only take another few seconds to get into town, shortly there will be a lot of traffic turning into Trotter's and because of poor planning there is no turning lane. While we are working on this, there needs to be a turning lane into Pamida before there is a accident there.
— John Grieser, Broken Bow
Very recently I was driving to Broken Bow from Merna at the speed limit of 65. A side loading dump semitruck was approaching this intersection coming from the club. He pulled left in front of my vehicle without stopping, forcing me to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. I would love to see flashing red/yellow at this corner, or flashing stops like down by Oconto.

Over a year ago, my husband and I stopped to render asssistance to an elderly lady whose pickup was on fire. She was stopped on the curve and her health made it unable for her to safely exit the vehicle. Her load was on fire and her walker had burned with it. I believe other drivers were reluctant to stop as it just so darn dangerous.

Like others, I am concerned with present levels of speed around the new truck stop, especially as there are no turning lanes.
— Lori Jackson
We live 4 miles west of Highway 2 on the Callaway Road and have been in this area since 1978. There has always been concern for us about the intersection of Callaway Road and Highway 2. We have semis that travel on the Callaway Road to Highway 2. We have had numerous instances when we stop at the stop sign and look to the north and do not see anyone coming. So we pull out with a fully loaded semi and before we know it there are cars coming up on us very rapidly. There is a dip and a hill just before Grassland and you cannot always see cars coming. I would like to see the speed limit lowered before Grassland.
— Jim Coleman, Broken Bow
I have had major concerns regarding this stretch of highway since my husband and I moved here close to 5 years ago. I've witnessed more accidents along this stretch of hwy than I've seen in all my 24 years on earth. From ignorant people pulling out off of Memorial Drive and the Callaway road to people pulling out of the radio station in front of you, something needs to be done SOON. Why this wasn't addressed during the construction of the new Trotters Truck stop, is beyond me. Yes it's probably going to cost money to do something with this stretch of road, turning lanes, lower speed limits, wider road something, but can you really put a price on everyone's life who travel that road 2-3 times daily... NO. I hope something gets done. I will be avoiding that area and going around the north edge of Broken Bow if something doesn't get fixed. Thank you.
— Megan Tucker
I definitely think the speed limit needs to be reduced before Grassland Hospital (coming into Broken Bow at the first corner). I have had several experiences over the years of people pulling out in front of me on that first corner and also at Country Club intersection.
— Anonymous
During Sturgis traffic, I was coming out of Broken Bow and needed to turn on the Callaway Road. Several bikers were behind me, I put my turn signal on way ahead of time and slowed down. Before I could get turned I had motorcycles passing on my right (the shoulder) and on the left in the other lane and still some behind me. Finally they realized I was going to turn and all passed on the shoulder. It was frightening because I was afraid I was going to hit one of them.
— Iris Anderson, Callaway
We live on Cramer Canyon Rd and when the trucks come around our corner going 65 from either direction it is hard to get out on the highway without getting hit. Then we get up to highway speed and have to watch out for the Callaway turnoff.
— Anonymous
I appreciate what you folks are doing. The speed limit should have been changed a long time ago north past the 2nd curve... plenty of near misses for me and mine.
— Jeff Baker, Merna
Several years ago I was test driving a truck on highway 2 and at the intersection of the Callaway road and highway 2, when a car from out of state did not stop at the stop sign. I ended up in the ditch, shaken but not hurt. I left tire marks on the highway. The county needs to put up signs forewarning people of the up coming stop, and that the traffic does not stop on highway 2. Also why don't we just wait until there is a fatality on the curve just before Trotter's or when trucks are stopped to enter Trotter's from either direction, before the state decides to do something about it. It is a given that there will be an accident there. Thanks for letting me express my opinion.
— Jim Lapant, Broken Bow