Recent Tragedies Bring Focus to County Road 30 and U.S. Highway 85 Junction
Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer
Two crashes within the past seven months at a McKenzie County intersection have drawn increased attention from community members and state officials. The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is now reviewing the area following the incidents.
Three people have died in the two crashes, both of which occurred within a year. The incidents have renewed focus on highway safety, traffic patterns, and driver behavior at the intersection.
The most recent crash occurred on April 25, when a collision between a Jeep and a tanker truck resulted in the death of 63-year-old Tracy Christensen of Watford City.
An earlier crash on September 25, 2025, resulted in two fatalities and one serious injury. Hannah Kocher, 25, and a five-year-old child were killed. Jacob Shepard, 24, the child’s father, sustained serious injuries. All three were residents of Watford City.
These are the only two fatal crashes recorded at this intersection since at least 2016.
Both incidents occurred in the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 85 and involved a vehicle entering the intersection from the west, resulting in angle (T-bone) collisions.
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