INDIANA — One bill at the Statehouse is one step closer to becoming law. Senate Bill 183, which aims to enhance safety at rural intersections, has gained momentum and support following its introduction this summer.
The bill is named in honor of 17-year-old Riley Settergren, an Eastern Hancock County teen who tragically lost his life at a rural intersection when a piece of farm equipment collided with the truck he was in. Since then, his family has been advocating for safer intersection regulations.
For the first time since 2017, a bill focused on safety is set to be heard before the full Senate. If enacted, SB 183 will require properties at two-way rural intersections to maintain a line of sight triangle, keeping the area clear of anything taller than three feet, including crops and vegetation.
"This is one step. We're not there yet, but it's so joyful for us to take that next step and get it sent to the representatives," Chase Settergren said.
Tuesday, the Homeland Security and Transportation Committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed to the full Senate. The Settergren family expressed their hope as the bill progresses.
Chase Settergren, Riley's brother said, "It's hard to say how it feels. It's just butterflies in your stomach. I know how much this means to my mother and my father, and the people who have our backs in our community. Our friends and family. So this is a big win for us, and we're very happy."
Adam Novotney from the Indiana Farm Bureau raised concerns about ensuring property owners are notified of any non-compliance with visibility requirements. "Make sure that issue is brought to the property owners' attention and there’s some sort of remediation that they can do on their own before an incident happens," he said.
Novotney did say Farm Bureau is neutral on the bill and added, "We definitely understand the tragic genesis of the bill and we're happy to work on any potential language fixes that we might be able to have on that."
Senator Crider, the bill's author, noted he is open to considering any language proposed by the Indiana Farm Bureau to address their concerns. He also mentioned that an amendment is expected to remove critical infrastructure, like electrical transmission poles, from the bill's provisions to avoid overregulation.
Riley's mother, Tammy, spoke to the committee members with tears in her eyes. While holding a sign and photos of her son she said, "This is personal for us. I want to put a face with a name. This was our son Riley," She said. "He had an amazing future ahead of him. He had a seat belt on, made sure everyone in the vehicle had a seat belt on. They did everything right."
Tammy advocated for the crops to be cut, in the name of safety. Saying it forces cars to inch out into an intersection putting them at risk.
"We can do more. How do we do more. We can publicize it, get grants and get bigger signs, do commercials. We have done those things. We can only do so much," Tammy said. "We need to make a change, we don't want anyone else to lose a loved one because of this. This is how we become proactive. This is how we make the land owners personally responsible ahead of time. So what happened to Riley, doesn't happen to anyone else."
Crider said he has spoken with DNR about nature preserves and other activity that might be close to an intersection.
As SB 183 continues to advance, we will keep you updated on its progress and whether it receives a reading on the Senate floor.
For more details, you can refer to the official text of Senate Bill 183, which outlines the specific requirements and context surrounding the proposed changes in law.
