Toddler nearly hit on controversial road near BP High School

Ronnie Thorson is convinced if it hadn’t been for a quick-thinking child, his then-2 ½-year-old grandson would have been hit last summer on what has become a controversial road near Blooming Prairie High School.

Thorson is referring to County Road 46 on the western edge of Blooming Prairie. It’s a narrow road with little to no shoulder space where vehicles park on both sides of the road during youth sporting events. The speed limit in the area is 45 mph.

“It was very scary,” Thorson, 68, said of the near encounter with his grandson. “He is very mobile, and he can run. He took off from me and went up the ditch. If he wasn’t grabbed by a bystander, he would have been hit by a speeding approaching car.”

Thorson has joined a campaign to post “No Parking” signs along County Road 46. Blooming Prairie area resident Tom Peterson has been battling county and school officials on the issue since last year. He has brought his concerns to school board meetings as well as county safety committee meetings. But as of this week nothing has been done other than officials pointing fingers at each other as Peterson describes the situation.

Police Chief Greg Skillestad has also publicly urged officials to take action with the road as he described it as only a matter of time before something tragic happens.

While the winter months have provided a reprieve from the activity at the ball fields as well as the parking issues that come with it, last week was just the start of what’s ahead. “March madness,” Peterson said as he produced a video of a March 27 late afternoon game. His video showed 41 vehicles parked in a half mile stretch, including 16 SUVs, 14 cars, 10 trucks and to Peterson’s astonishment, a school bus. There were also two pedestrians standing on or near the drivable portion of the road.

“Anger and dismay are the first two words that come to my mind for all the vehicles and now a bus unloading kids on the road,” Peterson said after he drove on the stretch last week. “Anger because the county refuses to embrace public safety for the kids and spectators. The potential for tragedy is real, and the need for action is urgent.”

When told about the bus parked on the stretch last week, Thorson said, “Wow, geez, that’s crazy.”

Thorson calls the road’s design “unfortunate.” He said the shoulder is way too narrow to allow parking.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” said Thorson, whose father served as city attorney for decades and the community’s swimming pool is named after. “It’s going to happen. I hate to wait for someone to be critically injured or die to have something done.”

He added, “We have just been lucky. It’s the little kids you can’t see between the cars.”

Like Peterson, Thorson is also frustrated with the lack of action from county officials. “I don’t see why they are so resistant to Tom. I just don’t understand them not being more sensitive to the problems we have,” Thorson said.

Some relief, however, may be on the horizon. County Highway Engineer Paul Sponholz confirmed to the Times that the issue has been placed on the County Board agenda for its consideration at the April 8 meeting. However, it’s unclear what, if anything, county staff is recommending to the commissioners.

As another spring and summer approaches, Peterson has his fingers crossed.

“I hope and pray for every sporting event to end happily,” he said. “It’s a relief that a tragedy has, somehow, been averted on this road. It’s truly a miracle.”

Glimpse of County Road 46

Parking on March 27:

41 Total Vehicles

16 SUVs

14 Cars

10 Trucks

1 School Bus