Highway 97: Dangerous road or dangerous drivers?

Photo by Ryan Howard A fatal accident occurred here near the intersection of Iden Avenue and Highway 97 in Forest Lake on Sept. 12. The accident raised resident concerns about the safety of the highway and what can be done to make it less dangerous.

On Sept. 12, 2014, State Highway 97 near the intersection with Iden Avenue became the site of Forest Lake’s most recent traffic death. Around 5:45 a.m., Matthew Radloff, a 41-year-old Anoka man, crossed the center line of Highway 97 as he was driving east. His 2001 BMW Z3 hit the side of a westbound GMC Sierra before crashing head-on into a Chevrolet Silverado. Radloff, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene.

The death reignited discussion around the accidents and speed limit on Highway 97 west of U.S. Highway 61 in Forest Lake, which many area residents consider a dangerous street. The speed limit on the two-lane highway (also known as Scandia Trail North) is 55 mph and is set by the state of Minnesota, and many commenters on online stories about the accident recalled a nasty injury accident on July 5 and urged the city of Forest Lake to pressure the Minnesota Department of Transportation to lower the legal speed. The City Council briefly discussed the accident at its Sept. 22 meeting, with Director of Public Safety Richard Peterson reporting that the police department routinely patrols the area looking for unsafe driving. In a letter to the council, which she shared with the Times, city resident Patty Bushway said the street has too many curves, blind spots and regularly trafficked areas to have such a high speed limit.

  
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