Changes coming to road with dangerous curve

Couple died in crash at curve on Christmas Day

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It was a horrific crash that claimed the lives of a young St. Johns County couple. Now change is coming to the road where it happened.

Trevor and Jennifer Leonardi (pictured, below) died when their pickup truck veered off the road and into a tree at Anastasia Boulevard and Red Cox Drive on Christmas Day, investigators said.

"We try to stay focused on the fact that they're with God and they're fine," said Mike Osgood, whose stepdaughter was killed in the crash.

The Florida Department of Transportation says it's not the first fatal crash at that curve. So on Wednesday, officials began to take steps to make the road safer.

Over the years, there have been many accidents at the location.

"There's been several wrecks that have hit the station at different parts of the station," Dustin Hamilton, of the St. Augustine Fire Department, said last month.

Jennifer and Trevor Leonardi

After the crash, FDOT studied the road and found that while there weren't an alarming number of crashes, more could be done.

"We could make some improvements," said Tom Cavin, of FDOT. "We've put up some additional signs and markings to try to help make it safer for the motorists that are driving along that corridor."

FDOT's plan also calls for extra reflected bumpers, which let drivers know when they're veering off the road. Crews will also paint larger, more visible stripes on the road.

"I don't feel that there's a whole lot of changes that need to be done, but I do think that the signs and the markings will help," Cavin said.

The Leonardis' family members say it's good that changes are coming. But they feel even more can be done.

Osgood believes to make the road safer, it needs guardrails.

"I think the road itself at the curve is fairly well marked. I think most people driving down the road realize that they're coming up on a curve," Osgood said. "I think the problem is that if you happen to get distracted right then, then you're immediately going to go off the road."