Over the last 11 years, there have been roughly 600 car accidents in St. Lucie County at the intersection of Prima Visa Boulevard and U.S. 1. This intersection has seen more accidents than any other intersection in the county, according to TC Palm. A number of small business owners in the area were doubtful at first of the statistic, saying they’ve seen little to no evidence of a large number of accidents there. A St. Lucie County Sheriff’s sergeant was surprised for a whole different reason, thinking that the number of accidents there would have been higher. According to Ed Blaine, a geographic information systems coordinator for St. Lucie County, the accident information is collected from law enforcement officials from the Florida Highway Patrol, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and from police departments in in both Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie.
“If, for instance, there are a number of accidents at a certain intersection it signals a time for the transportation engineers to go out there and take a look and see if there’s something that needs to be done with the intersection,” Blaine said.
Our St. Lucie car accident lawyers understand that transportation officials have the responsibility to make sure roadways are as safe as they can be with the budget available. Unfortunately, far too many accidents are experienced at problematic intersections before a change is ever made. From January of 2000 all the way to December of 2010, there were nearly 580 traffic accidents that happened within 200 feet of the St. Lucie County the intersection of U.S. 1 and 528 and at Prima Visa Boulevard and U.S. 1 at 528 and Midway Road intersection.
Some of the businesses in the area include a Walgreens, McDonald’s and Publix. There are also a number of plazas at the Prima Vista and U.S. 1 intersection. Residential neighborhoods are located just to the northwest and the southwest of this area. It’s no wonder it’s so busy.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kurt Mittwede says that while this intersection may have some of the most accidents recorded in the area, few result in life-threatening injuries. He says many of the collisions are small rear-end accidents. He adds that fatal accidents are far from the norm.
Mittwede says that the lanes were extended at that intersection a few years ago, which has helped tremendously. There’s still backed up traffic waiting to make the turn, but he says that’s because drivers simply aren’t paying attention. He also says that the rear-end accidents often produce a domino effect that at times can include up to five cars.
Mittwede also says he thought the number would have been higher than reported.
If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a car accident in St. Lucie County or in any of the surrounding South Florida areas, contact Freeman, Mallard, Gonzalez & Sharp to a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
Additional Resources:
U.S. 1 and Prima Vista Boulevard prime area for traffic accidents, by Will Greenlee, TC Palm
More Blog Entries:
Car Accident in West Palm Beach Injures Three as Driver Exits I-95, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, January 27, 2012