FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – After the latest serious crash on U.S. 17 between Orange Park and Green Cove Springs, News4Jax asked Florida Department of Transportation for an update to two traffic studies of the highway that began last year.
The question: Are the crashes just a coincidence or the road not safe?
State transpiration officials said they were reviewing the draft recommendations and "should have an update in about four weeks."
"I don’t know if it’s the stop signs or the way the roads are laid out or people aren’t patient, or a little bit of everything," said Anthony Good, who works in the area.
Five people were seriously injured early Sunday morning when a car pulled out of Heath Road into the path of a pickup truck. No one died, but three people were ejected. One day alter, two of the men were in serious condition and three others were in serious condition, all at Orange Park Medical Center.
Residents of the area believe that speed is a problem, and merging from side roads where the speed limit is 25 mph into traffic going highway speeds is a problem. And while the speed limit where Sunday's crash took place was 55 mph, a radar gun clocked many drivers Monday going over 60 mph.
"It seems like we always have to wait until something serious happens before they put a light or some kind of stop system here," resident Barbara Williams said.