Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Area residents in Siesta Key, Florida, are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to a dangerous road, reports WWSB 7 News (http://www.mysuncoast.com/2019/02/21/residents-pushing-safer-roads-following-deadly-motorcycle-accident-near-dangerous-curve/).
Dee Reams, who lives in a home close to the dangerous intersection of Higel Avenue and Siesta Drive, is at the forefront of this effort. She says the situation has only gotten worse over the five years she has lived there. Currently, Reams is Make Siesta Drive Safer’s chairperson, and the group is pushing to make a two-mile section of the drive safer, particularly at its curve.
Reams said that the group has gone through records from the county, city, and local police department. They discovered that there were more than 180 crashes on the two-mile section over the last five years alone. Out of those crashes, says Reams, at least four involved fatalities, and those took place by Siesta Drive’s sharp curve. One happened just days before Reams talked to the local news outlet. In that case, a motorcyclist lost control and was struck by another driver. He died from his injuries at the scene.
This particular road goes to and from the popular Siesta Beach. The Florida Department of Transportation, at the urging of the group, took some measures to make the road safer back in 2017. They lowered the speed limit at the curve to 25 miles per hour and installed flashing warning signs to inform drivers of the limit. The curve was re-striped to make it clearer to drivers where their vehicle should be on the road as they drive along the curve.
However, Reams says the speed limit is still 40 miles per hour leading into the curve.
Brian Rick, a Public Information Specialist with the Florida Department of Transportation, says the department has looked into the issue with the speed limit that has been raised by the group. According to Rick, they have determined that the speed limit as it is now is the appropriate limit for that particular road.
According to Reams, the speed limit was temporarily lowed from 40 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour after one of the deadly crashes, but then it was raised back up to 40 miles per hour. She and other residents are hoping it will be lowered back to 30 miles per hour permanently. The group also has other safety requests they have presented to the department, including the installation of crosswalks at Hamilton Avenue and Shell Road. Ream added that they would also like a physical addition to the road, like a speed bump to slow people down who are going into the curb and the installation of flashing lights.
The Florida Department of Transportation says they are listening to the concerns of residents about this dangerous road section. They are meeting with county officials in the near future to discuss options to improve its safety.
