20 years ago

The stretch of Highway 86 that runs from Brawley to Indio was once known as the “killer highway” for the human toll it took.

Wilford W. “Bill” Freeman, one of the organizers of the Highway 86 Improvement Association, died Oct. 18 of lung cancer in his home in Coachella.

The Highway 86 improvement project, ongoing for about 20 years, was organized by David E. Pierson, who represented Imperial County, and Freeman, who represented Riverside County.

Freeman began his campaign to upgrade the highway in 1977 after a school bus and a truck collided. All students in the bus escaped injury.

Percentage wise it had a very high death toll, said Freeman widow, Marguerite. “Every time there was an accident, Bill wanted a report. He wanted all the statistics.”

In April 1980, three high school students and a bus driver died and six students were injured when the bus in which they were traveling collided with a truck on Highway 86 in the Salton Sea area.

The students were traveling to Coachella Valley High School to attend classes. Such bus accidents played a part in the establishment of a new high school in Salton City.