Update: How Stanislaus board responded to Camp Taylor volunteer’s traffic death
Stanislaus County Public Works is looking into four-way stop signs where a Camp Taylor volunteer died in a June 21 crash.
That news came at the Tuesday morning meeting of the county Board of Supervisors, attended by family and friends of Avery Millerick.
The camp for children born with heart defects is at Grayson and Shiloh roads, with stop signs only on the latter. Millerick, 19, was driving a northbound car that was struck by a semi-truck going east on Grayson.
Her mother, Ciara Walsh, spoke from the podium while supporters held large photos of her daughter in the front row.
“We don’t want any other mother to spend her Sundays grieving at a roadside memorial, placing fresh flowers where her child took her last breath,” she said.
The collision happened on the final Saturday morning of a four-night session for campers 7 to 12 years old. Shiloh has its south end at the driveway for the camp, which is along the San Joaquin River.
The board could not approve the stop signs because the matter was not on the agenda. The meeting rules do allow supervisors to give direction to the county staff.
The petitioners spoke during the portion of the meeting when attendees can comment on any part of county business.
Executive Director Kimberlie Gamino said nearly 10,000 people a year use the sole entrance to Camp Taylor. The site serves heart patients in summer and is rented out to school districts and other users from fall to spring.
Millerick’s death “was a devastating reminder that the danger on Grayson Road is not abstract,” Gamino said. “It is immediate, and it is preventable.”
Millerick first visited the camp at age 2 in support of older brother Ethan, a heart patient. She later became one of its many volunteers.
Millerick graduated from Modesto High School last year and was studying cinematic arts at California State University, Northridge. Her mother said she dreamed of someday making a documentary about kids with heart ailments.
What are the steps to request a stop sign?
The county’s process for stop-sign requests was detailed in an email Monday from senior traffic engineer James Ashby.
“When residents ask for stop signs, it might seem like a simple fix for safety — but in California, installing an all-way stop requires meeting specific state traffic engineering standards,” he said.
The steps include a 10-year crash history and at least eight hours of current vehicle counts at the intersection. The staff also looks at pedestrian and bicycle numbers, motor-vehicle speeds and how far drivers can see.
A four-way stop could be warranted if a site had five or more crashes in one year that could have been prevented by the signs. The minimum peak-hour traffic is 300 vehicles on the main route and 200 on a smaller cross street. A new four-way stop would come with other signs alerting approaching drivers to the change.
The rules aim to ensure safety without a proliferation of stop signs that impede travel.
Camp Taylor’s cardiologist joins in appeal
Tuesday’s agenda packet included several letters in support of upgrading the intersection. One was from camp medical director Dr. Kavin Desai. The Palo Alto cardiologist has volunteered at Camp Taylor every year since its 2002 founding.
“This intersection has been known to be dangerous for years, and now it has taken the precious life of one of our own,” Desai wrote. He suggested that the county install either stop signs or traffic lights.
Another letter was from Chief Shanon Evans of the Westport Fire Protection District, which responded to the collision. He noted that a bend in Grayson Road reduces sight lines for drivers leaving the camp.
The petitioners attached a 2022 story in The Modesto Bee about growing traffic on Grayson Road and other rural routes. Experts said some of it was commuters avoiding clogged roads elsewhere with help from Google Maps and other apps.
State and federal lawmakers lend support
Separate letters for the stop signs came from Rep. Adam Gray, D-Merced, and state Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto. Gray was a state lawmaker when in 2018 he helped secure $2 million for Camp Taylor. Alanis honored Millerick with an Aug. 21 tribute on the Assembly floor.
The camp used rented locations during most of its history. Its permanent home used to be the county honor farm, for lower-security jail inmates. Alanis said he knew about the road hazard during his time as a sheriff’s deputy.
The petitioners said traffic is increasing with the new Dos Rios Ranch State Park. It is along Shiloh Road about three miles north of Grayson Road.
Camp Taylor is bounded on the west by Laird Regional Park, part of the county system. The tiny town of Grayson lies about two miles farther west.
Supervisor Channce Condit, whose district includes Camp Taylor, said he was persuaded of the need for the four-way stop. He also suggested that the roadside get a permanent marker in memory of Millerick.
“We should all find solace in knowing that maybe her legacy will save future lives,” Condit said.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 4:40 PM.
