Family sues Polk County for fatal accident blaming obscured stop sign.

The family of a woman who tragically lost her life in a Polk County crash in 2025 has filed a lawsuit alleging that the county was negligent in maintaining roadside vegetation. This negligence, they claim, obscured a stop sign at the intersection of Missouri Highway 83 and County Road 330, ultimately leading to the fatal collision. The lawsuit, recently submitted in Polk County Circuit Court, lists Megan Bohanon, Donald Rohrbach, and Savannah Tripp as plaintiffs against Polk County. The incident occurred when Bohanon was driving with her mother, Carole Rohrbach, as a passenger, and their vehicle was struck by another vehicle that allegedly failed to stop. The lawsuit argues that overgrown vegetation in the county’s right-of-way obscured the stop sign and parts of the roadway, contributing directly to the crash. Tragically, Rohrbach lost her life in the collision, while Bohanon suffered multiple injuries as a result. The family is seeking compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, and the emotional impacts of their loss, claiming that Polk County should have been aware of and addressed the dangerous condition caused by the vegetation. The lawsuit invokes Missouri’s sovereign immunity waiver, allowing legal action against public entities for injuries resulting from hazardous property conditions, and the family is seeking damages exceeding $25,000. Efforts to obtain a comment from the Polk County Commission have so far been unanswered.