High school student urges Wythe County to add farm-equipment warning signs

Olivia Krueger, a junior at Royal Treat High School, asked Wythe County officials on Thursday to install more tractor and farm-equipment warning signs on rural roads after recounting a local farmer’s fatal collision.

Krueger said the project began as her Girl Scout Gold Award work and expanded through Farm Bureau and FFA connections. "No family should have to experience that kind of heartbreak simply because drivers were unprepared to share the road," she said, describing outreach that included an informational booth and a live tractor display to show visibility challenges.

Her presentation included a concrete safety detail: Krueger said tractors and combines typically travel between 15 and 25 mph on roads posted at speeds up to 55 mph, increasing the risk of serious crashes when faster vehicles encounter slow-moving equipment. She proposed placing additional warning signs in high-risk locations and listed priority stretches including Peppers Ferry Road (Whitfield and Max Meadow sides), Black Lick Road and Old Stage Road.

A board member who said they had worked with Krueger praised the effort and reported collecting suggested locations and resident signatures. "I'd just like to thank you as well, Miss Krueger, for your dedication and focus on making sure this doesn't stop," the committee member said, urging the student to continue the campaign.

County staff member Mr. Schwarz, identified in the transcript as "from VOTE," said Krueger had submitted forms identifying locations and that he would forward those to the traffic engineering division for a formal review. "She sent those to me today. I forwarded those on to our traffic engineering division," Schwarz said, adding that the division would review and provide recommendations to Krueger and the board.

The committee member speaking for the seven members present said the board was supportive and would help where it could. Krueger thanked the panel and offered to keep working with residents and staff on sign placement and education.

Next steps, as described at the meeting, are the traffic engineering division’s review of Krueger’s submitted location forms and a follow-up from staff to report recommendations; no formal vote or funding decision was made at the session.