'How many times does this have to happen': Pikeland community petitions for change at deadly intersection

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MORGAN COUNTY, Ill. (WGEM) - Three weeks after a car crash claimed the lives of two Pittsfield high schoolers, the Pikeland community is calling for change at the intersection of U.S. Highway 67 and Woodson Winchester Road.

"How many times does this have to happen before they actually do something about it?" asked 2025 Pittsfield High School graduate Abby Chamberlain.

For the last week or so, a petition to add rumble strips and increased signage to the intersection has circulated Pike County and surrounding counties, garnering hundreds of signatures.

PHS Principal Angie Greger said the petition will be hand-delivered to Illinois Deputy Governor Andy Manar on Friday, June 20, nearly one month to the day since the crash.

PHS seniors Jesse Davidsmeyer and junior Joel Noble were passengers in a car with two other fellow classmates, traveling eastbound on Woodson Winchester Road.

According to Illinois State Police, the car traveled through the intersection and collided with a vehicle. Jesse Davidsmeyer and Noble were killed, and the two others were sent to a regional hospital with injuries. One still remains in the hospital.

Jesse Davidsmeyer's father, Jeremy Davidsmeyer, said the last time he talked to his son was around 1 p.m. on the day of the crash. Jeremy Davidsmeyer said his son told him he was leaving to go play paintball. Not long after, he received a call saying to go to a hospital in Jacksonville. There, he learned about his son's death.

"I knew as soon as the lady came through the door, she had the coroner's badge on, that it was bad news," Jeremy Davidsmeyer said.

ISP reported that the crash happened around 2:15 p.m.

Not long after, Jeremy Davidsmeyer said the idea came about to enhance safety at the intersection.

A local resident who lives near the intersection said he heard the crash, and that he's seen nearly half-a-dozen crashes in the 20 years he's lived there.

"I've went through every emotion. Sadness, anger, rage, I've had em' all. Now it's determination," Jeremy Davidsmeyer said.

The May 24 crash marked three student deaths in one semester for the Pikeland School District. Basketball standout Reese Ramsey was killed in a crash in mid-February.

Greger said one positive during such tragedies has been the coming together of the local community.

"At graduation I told the students, a couple years ago if I told them that I love them, they would have scoffed it off, but that's something that we tell each other a lot now, and we know that we mean it," Greger said.

Greger described Jesse Davidsmeyer as a kind student who always said hello. She said Noble was "squirrely" with a fantastic sense of humor.

Many students now wear bracelets in support of the two students and their families, and shirts that read "Lift Like Jesse" and "Be Strong, Be Noble, Built Different."

"The Lift Like Jesse, it doesn't mean just lifting weights," Jeremy Davidsmeyer said. "It means if you see somebody that looks like they're having trouble, lift them up."

If the trip to Springfield is a success, Greger would like to see the safety enhancements be installed within a month, but isn't sure how quickly it could happen.

"We also need to think about all the cars that went through that intersection and went through that stop sign and were just lucky that no one else was coming," said Luke Archer, who was supposed to play paintball with Jesse and Joel.