Campus Alert Archive
SBC

Flash Flood Kills Two on Standing Rock Reservation Road; Sitting Bull College Bus Driver Airlifted After Plunge

NDfloodingadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On July 8, 2019, flash flooding caused by seven inches of overnight rain washed out a section of BIA Road 3 / Highway 1806 on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation near Fort Yates, North Dakota, killing two people and injuring two others. A Sitting Bull College bus driver was among those whose vehicle plunged into the washout and was airlifted to a Bismarck hospital for surgery. The road was closed indefinitely, forcing extended detours for the college and the broader reservation community.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
2
Injured
2
Institution
Sitting Bull College
Tribal College · ND
~450 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTUnknown
Approximate reconstruction213 chars
SBC NOTICE: Due to the washout of BIA Road 3 / Highway 1806 south of Fort Yates, travel in that area is dangerous and road is closed. Please avoid this route. Campus will provide updates as the situation develops.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from multiple North Dakota news accounts; official SBC alert text not available in public sources
Seven inches of rain fell overnight July 7-8, 2019, washing out a culvert under BIA Road 3 (locally known as the Kenel Road, becoming Highway 1806 south of the North Dakota-South Dakota border)
A Sitting Bull College bus driver was among those whose vehicle plunged into the 30-to-40-foot-wide, 60-to-70-foot-deep hole opened by the washout
The driver was airlifted to a hospital in Bismarck and underwent surgery for arm and finger injuries; Sitting Bull College Vice President Koreen Ressler confirmed his condition without releasing his name
Context

Background

Sitting Bull College is a tribal college on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota, serving members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. On the night of July 7-8, 2019, approximately seven inches of rain fell on the Standing Rock Reservation, causing flash flooding that washed out a culvert under BIA Road 3 just north of the North Dakota-South Dakota border, opening a hole estimated at 30-40 feet wide and 60-70 feet deep. Several vehicles plunged into the void before the road could be closed. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Trudy Peterson, an Indian Health Service nurse from Mobridge, South Dakota, and Jim Vanderwal. A pickup truck driver was also rescued and hospitalized. A Sitting Bull College bus driver was rescued from the water and airlifted to a Bismarck hospital, where he underwent surgery on his arm and finger. Survivors later pursued legal action, noting that the culvert that failed had been designated for replacement seven years earlier but never repaired due to chronic infrastructure underfunding on reservations. The road closure disrupted transportation across the southern Standing Rock Reservation and required extended detours affecting the college's bus transit routes.
Analysis

Key Findings

A Sitting Bull College bus driver was directly injured in the road washout, making this a safety incident that directly affected a tribal college employee
The culvert that failed had been identified for replacement seven years before the incident, reflecting chronic infrastructure underfunding on reservation roads
The Standing Rock Reservation's transportation network relies on a limited number of highway routes; a single washout can isolate portions of the reservation from emergency services, healthcare, and educational facilities
Sitting Bull College operates a public transit system serving the Standing Rock Reservation, making road safety a direct institutional concern
Outcome
Two people killed: Trudy Peterson (Indian Health Service nurse from Mobridge, SD) and Jim Vanderwal. Two survivors rescued, including a Sitting Bull College bus driver who required surgery for arm and finger injuries. BIA Road 3 / Highway 1806 closed indefinitely. The culvert that failed had been designated for replacement seven years earlier.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    UPDATE: 2 found dead after road washout south of Fort Yates - KFYR-TV
    kfyrtv.com
  2. News
    Second body recovered after Standing Rock highway washout; road closed indefinitely - Grand Forks Herald
    grandforksherald.com
  3. News
    Survivors of Standing Rock road washout fight for justice - KXNET
    kxnet.com
  4. News
    Washed-out culvert that led to 2 deaths was designated for replacement 7 years ago - Missoulian
    missoulian.com
Tags
floodingflash-floodtribal-collegenorth-dakotastanding-rockroad-washoutinfrastructure-failurebus-driver-injuredreservation-roads2019
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion