Doane added a new stop sign over by the Fuhrer Field House on the road down from the Haddix Recreation & Athletic Center, making a new three-way stop between the two other stop signs in the area.
The new stop sign is an attempt to slow down traffic after drivers have had incidents of coming through the turn too quickly, resulting in potential accidents, collisions and even pedestrian injuries. The stop sign appears to be in response to a recent incident involving a student driver and a couple who were visiting Doane to support their daughter at a high school football game that took place on Sept. 13.
Tara and Alex Pruitt, the couple in the accident, were walking to the stadium on Doane University’s campus when a driver rounded the corner and hit the couple. Tara Pruitt suffered multiple injuries with six broken ribs, seven broken bones in her spine and a partially collapsed lung while her husband had his tibia broken in three spots, leaving him unable to move without a wheelchair or crutches.
When asked if the stop sign was in response to the accident, the Doane Safety Office failed to respond by the publication date for context or clarification about the stop sign and its potential link to the accident. However, the stop sign will incentivize students to avoid speeding, as many athletes walk on the road where the three-way stop is stationed. Doane Safety will police the area and ticket students who blow the stop sign, fail to obey traffic rules or speed while turning.
