The citizens of Jamestown, North Dakota are grieving — and we are asking our city leaders to take action before more lives are lost.

On August 24, 2025, my friend Daniel Pollard was struck while riding his motorcycle at a poorly managed intersection within our city. Due to the severity of his injuries and ongoing medical complications from that crash, Daniel passed away on January 10, 2026.

Tragically, this was not the end.

On January 21, 2026, just 6 days after laying Dan to rest, a 16-year-old young man lost his life after being struck at another dangerously managed intersection in Jamestown — one that lacked adequate traffic control and clear right-of-way measures.

Two deaths.

Two intersections.

One ongoing and preventable problem.

These were not freak accidents. They were the result of intersections that lack proper stop signs, visibility control, and traffic management. Many drivers do not approach unsigned intersections with caution and often only slow down or stop when there is clear signage present or when law enforcement is visibly nearby. Without clear direction, drivers assume right-of-way, hesitation turns into confusion, and the risk of serious collisions increases dramatically.

Jamestown is a strong community that looks out for one another. But when repeated fatalities occur under similar conditions, it becomes clear that infrastructure changes are urgently needed.

We are formally petitioning the City of Jamestown, the Jamestown City Council, and the Public Works and Engineering Departments to take immediate action by:

• Conducting safety evaluations of known high-risk intersections

• Installing additional stop signs where traffic flow and visibility demand them

• Improving intersection design to reduce confusion and collision risk

• Treating traffic safety as a preventative responsibility — not a reaction after tragedy

If the cost of each new sign is $80 per sign — or even $100 — the total cost will never equal the loss of a single life from this community.

Stop signs are not an inconvenience.

They are a proven, low-cost, lifesaving measure.

No family should have to bury a loved one because a basic safety decision was delayed. No parent should outlive their child because an intersection was labeled “acceptable” — until it wasn’t.

We cannot bring back Dan Pollard.

We cannot restore the life of that young man who had his entire future ahead of him.

But we can choose to act now — before another funeral, another empty seat at a family table.

We urge Jamestown city officials to take immediate and decisive action to improve intersection safety and prevent further loss of life in our community.

Safety should never come after tragedy.