Orange County said its traffic engineers will take a good, hard look at a deadly intersection.
Last week, two sisters and their three children were killed heading westbound on Clarcona-Ocoee Road. They took a left onto Gaymar Drive when an eastbound SUV T-boned them.
The same thing happened in January, killing a 35-year-old woman. And her boyfriend is joining the calls for more traffic lights along the road.
READ: 2 children, 5-month-old among 5 killed in west Orange County crash
RIGHT NOW: Family and community members add to the memorial site at the Clarcona Ocoee and Gaymar intersection, where five members of a family were killed in a crash Thursday night as a press conference and vigil begins.
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 14, 2021
WATCH HERE: https://t.co/BMdBt4lsLu pic.twitter.com/mg7o8E4eE0
On Jan. 26, Charley Root, his girlfriend Adriana Sopena and their 7-year-old son were in a truck when they were T-boned at the intersection.
Less than seven weeks later, a second vehicle was T-boned, killing two sisters, a 5-year-old, 3-year-old and 5-month-old.
“I can feel what they’re feeling,” Root said. “I just feel so bad for them.”
READ: Community gathers to remember 5 family members killed in Orlando crash
Florida High Patrol is still investigating both crashes. In the meantime, it also asked Orange County’s Traffic Engineering division to carefully look at the intersection.
Root lives right at the corner, and ran outside when he heard Thursday’s crash.
“It’s speed. I’m telling you, speed,” Root said.
This is the same place where there was a deadly crash on January 26. I spoke with a man involved in that crash. His girlfriend was killed in it and because he lives right next to the crash he says seeing the victims in the crash has been tragedy layered on tragedy. https://t.co/pvh2QAsv4s
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 12, 2021
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Ocoee Commissioner George Oliver III couldn’t agree more.
Ocoee is about a half-mile west of the intersection along Clarcona-Ocoee Road.
“I think the speed limit is like 45 miles an hour, which in cases means 70 to some folks,” Oliver said.
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Both Oliver and Root believe more traffic lights along the road will make it safer and prevent future tragedies.
The Department of Transportation has community traffic safety teams in every county.
Orange County’s team meets virtually Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. and will talk about the crashes.
Cox Media Group
