YULEE, Fla. – A head-on crash on Highway 17 in Yulee that killed three people on Thursday has left the community heartbroken and frustrated.
The crash happened at the intersection of Highway 17 and Goodbread Road, after one driver tried to pass another and collided head-on with a truck.
Locals told News4JAX that while the news of the crash was devastating, it is not surprising.
“It’s scary out here,” said Heather Sitman, who works at Southern Blend, a business right off the highway. “I’ve almost been hit four times. People just go too fast, or they’re not paying attention.”
Sitman’s not alone.
Residents and business owners up and down Highway 17 said that stretch of road has been dangerous for years, a two-lane highway where speeding and risky driving are far too common.
“Basically, everybody treats it like a racetrack,” she said. “There’s only two lanes, so you can only go so far. And trying to get out of County Road 108? It’s even worse — there’s no light, and people are always flying through.”
News4JAX reporter Yvette Sanchez drove through the area and spoke with several locals. The message was the same everywhere: drivers are taking risks, and the road just isn’t built to handle it safely.
One of the major concerns is the lack of traffic lights, and how long it’s taken for even small improvements to happen.
“It took seven years just to get the road widened a little,” Sitman said. “I don’t know if they’ll ever widen it more or put a light there — but to save lives, they need to.”
While there are no official plans to make changes to the highway, Sitman said that doesn’t mean people should stay quiet.
“We can get together and voice our opinions about it to the city, whoever we have to, just to make a change. Because until we make a change, the same things are going to keep happening over and over,” Sitman said.
As the investigation into the crash continues, many in Yulee are hoping this tragic loss will finally be the wake-up call needed to make Highway 17 safer, before more lives are lost.
News4JAX reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation to ask if there were any plans for the highway, and responded with the following statement:
“Our hearts break whenever we learn of a fatality or serious injury on the roadway. To that end, reviewing crash reports is critical to understanding crash causes and prevention. The recent crash along U.S. 17 and Goodbread Road is still being investigated by law enforcement, FDOT respectfully refers inquiries to law enforcement regarding the specifics of this incident and any available information that may be available about this crash.
As is standard operating procedure, FDOT reviews all reported crashes on state roadways and interstates – a special emphasis is placed on fatalities and crashes with injuries. This process includes careful analysis by professional engineers and other evaluations that may be warranted."
Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson
