Camp Taylor leaders have called on the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to improve safety at the camp’s entrance, following the death of 19-year-old volunteer Avery Millerick in a traffic collision on June 21. The request for a four-way stop sign at Grayson and Shiloh roads was made in a letter attached to Tuesday’s board agenda.
Currently, only Shiloh Road has stop signs at the intersection. Camp Taylor, which serves young heart patients, is located along the San Joaquin River where Shiloh Road ends at its driveway.
The board cannot immediately act on the request because it is not a formal agenda item. However, supervisors may refer it to county staff for further study under meeting rules.
The letter was signed by Millerick’s mother, Ciara Walsh, and Camp Taylor Executive Director Kimberlie Gamino. “The unimaginable and heartbreaking loss of young Avery Roxanne Millerick,” they wrote, “serves as a wake-up call to our community that traffic conditions have changed and we need to make these roadways safer to reduce the risk of another incident such as this.”
Millerick was driving northbound when her car collided with an eastbound semi-truck on Grayson Road during the final morning of a camp session for children aged 7 to 12.
James Ashby, senior traffic engineer for Stanislaus County Public Works, explained that installing all-way stop signs requires meeting specific state standards. Criteria include reviewing crash history over ten years, current vehicle counts over eight hours, pedestrian and bicycle activity, vehicle speeds, and driver visibility. A four-way stop could be considered if there are five or more preventable crashes in one year or if peak-hour traffic meets certain thresholds.
Dr. Kavin Desai, Camp Taylor’s medical director since its founding in 2002, also supported additional stop signs or traffic lights: “This intersection has been known to be dangerous for years, and now it has taken the precious life of one of our own,” he wrote.
Chief Shanon Evans from Westport Fire Protection District noted that limited sight lines due to a bend in Grayson Road pose risks for drivers leaving the camp.
Other letters supporting added safety measures came from Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced) and Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto). Gray previously helped secure $2 million in funding for Camp Taylor while serving as a state lawmaker; Alanis honored Millerick with an Assembly tribute in August and mentioned awareness of road hazards from his time as a sheriff’s deputy.
Traffic volume near Camp Taylor has increased partly due to new attractions like Dos Rios Ranch State Park about three miles north on Shiloh Road. The area is also bordered by Laird Regional Park and lies near the town of Grayson.
A related article published by The Modesto Bee in 2022 reported rising traffic levels on rural routes such as Grayson Road due to commuters using navigation apps to avoid congested main roads.
Camp Taylor uses its site primarily during summer but rents it out during other seasons. Its permanent location was formerly part of a county honor farm used for lower-security jail inmates.
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors will discuss referrals at their meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m., Oct. 14 at 1010 10th St., Modesto.
