Pittman aims to make Trout River Boulevard safer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trout River Boulevard is a scenic bypass to traffic on Lem Turner Road, but it can also be dangerous to drive. It’s the same road that took the lives of 26-year-old Armani Channelle and his 2-year-old son, Cameron, in October.

According to the figures released by the Florida Highway Patrol, the wreck that killed Channelle and his son was one of 41 crashes along the same roadway in the past two years. And officials say something has to be done.

City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman, whose district covers Trout River Boulevard, said conditions on that road are unacceptable. She has reached out to the city’s public works department and JEA to see what can be done.

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“No one wants to lose a family member and I wanted to make sure as a councilwoman that I have done everything that needed to get done so this doesn’t happen again,” Pittman said.

Driving along Trout River Boulevard, it’s not hard to find curves that require drivers to slow down. In fact, most of the crashes that happen along that stretch of road happen near those curves.

“This area the last couple of years has increased with traffic because there are new developments in this area,” Pittman said.

To improve roadway safety in the area, Pittman said a field review and analysis has already been completed. Up next is increasing the wattage in the LED light poles and upgrading traffic signs along the road.

It’s unclear what led up to the crash that killed Channelle and his son. What is known is that someone called 911 about 8:30 a.m. Oct. 17. First responders found Channelle’s car up against a tree near Cole Harbor Lane.

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