Seminole County to study deadly Casselberry intersection after 3 crashes in a month
CASSELBERRY, Fla. - People who live near the intersection of East Lake Dr. and Bird Road are fed up after seeing another accident in the intersection over the weekend. Residents say the crash is the third in the last month. It comes just nine days after a 21-year-old was killed in a motorcycle accident in the same spot.
"Every time you’re coming by you’re seeing red flashing lights," said Kendra McWilliams.
McWilliams says accidents like the one she saw Saturday night are all too common. The intersection is littered with pieces of cars and damaged fences, and flowers memorializing recent accidents.
"It’s just terrifying because you’re like what if this could be my family," said McWilliams.
On Thanksgiving night, Vincent Young, 21, was killed when his motorcycle hit a car trying to make a left turn. His best friend Seth Bordner was riding with him as they were coming home.
"He died doing exactly what he loved," said Bordner. "He told me if he ever died on his motorcycle just now that’s exactly how he wanted to go out."
McWilliams says she has seen Bordner almost every night since the accident sitting by the memorial for his friend. She has started to rally together others to push the county to make a change.
"The light is everybody’s first choice but maybe just having them come in and make it lighter," said McWilliams.
Residents say the biggest issue is judging the speed of cars coming around the corner. The speed limit is 45 mph, but Seminole County says drivers have been clocked going upwards of 70 mph.
"I wish they could look and see and judge for themselves how hard it is to measure the speed," said McWilliams.
Seminole County crash data shows there have been at least 14 accidents in this intersection since March 2021.
A county traffic engineer tells FOX 35 News that past studies haven’t shown a need for a traffic light in the intersection. Although, they will be back out to gather more information about the intersection to run a new study. Even if a traffic light is not the answer, residents just hope something will change.