Lawsuit says dangerous Highway 60/Route A intersection was factor in Seymour woman's death
Thirty-two miles east of Springfield, the intersection of Highway 60 and Route A has been the site of several serious vehicle accidents and multiple deaths in recent years.
The intersection — scheduled for $28 million in improvements set to begin in 2025, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation — is considered precarious, if not an outright hazard, by many Webster County residents and officials.
Seymour resident Thomas Hill is among them.
Hill, whose wife was killed in a June 3, 2021, traffic crash, is suing the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission on a count of dangerous condition, claiming the state's negligence contributed to Judy Kay Hill's death. The case was filed Aug. 7.
Hill, 71, was southbound in a 1999 Lincoln Town Car just before noon when she attempted to turn from Route A onto eastbound Highway 60, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. She collided with a westbound 2012 Dodge Avenger driven by a West Plains teenager and did not survive the crash.
The patrol's report said Hill failed to yield, but her husband and his legal representation — Kansas City-based Boyd Kenter Thomas and Parrish LLC — believe other factors led to her death.
According to the lawsuit, Thomas Hill believes stop signs are insufficient at the Route A stop for drivers attempting to get onto Highway 60, with its 65 mph speed limit.
"The intersection has no active traffic signals to properly control traffic at the intersection, reduce speed signs, and or cautionary flashing lights to warn drivers on Highway 60 to slow down when approaching the intersection and or warn drivers on Route A of approaching vehicles traveling at 65 miles per hour," the lawsuit states.
MoDOT held two public meetings in Webster County last year to discuss the intersection and others on Highway 60. Scheduled improvements include a new interchange at Highway 60 and Route A, a bridge over Route 60 and the BNSF railroad, connecting Route NN to the new Route AA interchange, and a roundabout at the new Route NN and Route A intersection.
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Route A, which is in Diggins, currently intersects with a section of Highway 60 that includes two westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes, separated by a grassy barrier with a median turning lane.
"(Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission) knew or should have known that the intersection posed a risk of injury to motorists," the lawsuit said. "Several collisions had occurred previously at the intersection and other nearby intersections on U.S. 60 Highway due to lack of proper traffic control devices or warnings, in addition to the speed limit on Highway 60."
Hill is demanding a civil trial by jury and seeking judgement for damages in excess of $25,000.
Judy Kay Hill was reportedly a well-known community member who, according to her obituary, sold produce in Seymour, transported members of the Amish community, and was a member of the Marshfield Apostolic Church.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Seymour man sues Missouri highway commission after wife's fatal crash
