JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Neighbors on Jacksonville’s Northside say a dangerous curve in their neighborhood has become a crash hotspot, and they’re calling on the city to take action before someone is seriously hurt.
Residents along the Palmdale St. stretch say speeding drivers and frequent wrecks have turned the area into what one homeowner described as a “danger zone.”
“I’ve documented 15 accidents through videos and police reports,” said homeowner Jared Powers.
Powers, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2013, said the crashes have become more frequent in recent years. He began documenting them in 2019 after noticing a spike in incidents.
“We’ve had multiple accidents right here in front of the house,” Powers said. “I’ve come out here, had to pull people out of their cars, call 911… it’s gotten to the point where most people don’t even come outside anymore. You just hear the tires screech and then the crash.”
Photos and debris collected by Powers show the aftermath of several crashes, including damage from motorcycles, passenger vehicles and even a police car.
Neighbors say speed is a major factor.
Using a handheld radar device, Powers recorded drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit — some reaching nearly 40 miles per hour in a 20 to 25 mile per hour zone.
“It’s one thing on a straight road,” he said. “But when they come around this curve going that fast, they lose control.”
Longtime resident David Henderson said the crashes have become routine.
“There have been at least five crashes that I know of,” Henderson said. “We’ve been saying we need speed bumps.”
Henderson described multiple incidents where vehicles veered off the road and into yards.
“They take this road for granted. They don’t care,” he said.
Despite repeated complaints, neighbors say the city’s response has largely been limited to installing signage — which they say has done little to slow drivers. Some signs have even been knocked down in crashes.
Residents say they have asked for speed humps for years but were told the cost could fall on the community.
“They told us about $4,000 per speed bump,” Powers said. “We’d have to pay for it.”
Powers said his biggest concern is safety, especially for children who live and play in the area.
“My biggest concern is that right now we’ve only lost a dog,” he said. “But sooner or later, if they don’t do something, it could be a fatality.”
Neighbors say they will continue pushing for solutions, including speed humps or increased enforcement, in hopes of preventing another crash.
News4Jax reached out to District Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman for comment on the concerns. As of publication, a response had not been received.