JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville city council member said the Florida Department of Transportation will do a study on the stretch of Baymeadows Road where a father and toddler were hit and killed by a car Friday.
“It goes without being said that this event has shaken the community of Baymeadows and the family of Mitchell Patch,” Jacksonville Councilmember Joe Carlucci stated in a news release Tuesday. “My prayers are with his family and I will remain committed to making sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
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In the news release, Carlucci called for a traffic signal, additional lighting, road striping, and signage.
The councilman tells Action News Jax that the traffic upgrades along Baymeadows Road are a top priority.
“Ultimately, we have to have it safer there,” he said.
RELATED: Calls for better lighting, crosswalk near Baymeadows Rd. bar where teacher carrying son hit, killed
Carlucci shared that he’s been in talks with FDOT to get a traffic survey completed in the area.
“We’re trying to tee everything up so that when and if we get a design, we can just approve it and get it really moving to get built as soon as possible,” he tells us.
Once that survey is completed, Carlucci said he is hopeful that visible changes can start being made along the stretch of road. He said that it is a process that will take time, though.
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Patch, who taught at Bayview Elementary School, was carrying his son, Everett, near Wicked Barley Brewing in the 4100 block of Baymeadows Road when they were struck by a Honda.
They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Carlucci’s news release also stated that he’s done the following in the days after the accident:
- Spoken to COJ’s Traffic Engineering Director to request urgency be placed on safety improvements for this roadway.
- Spoken to FDOT District 2 Director about making this a priority and have formally requested the required study be done in order to start the process of discovering what traffic signaling can be installed.
- FDOT will be conducting the study/survey in the coming weeks. This is a requirement prior to any traffic enhancements can be installed.
- Speaker Pro-Temp Wyman Duggan is supporting this initiative in the House and willing to help legislatively.
- Senator Clay Yarborough is supporting this initiative in the Senate and willing to help legislatively.
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FDOT sent Action News Jax the following statement about the incident:
“Our hearts break whenever we learn of a fatality or serious injury on the roadway. To that end, reviewing crash reports is critical to understanding crash causes and prevention. As the recent crash along Baymeadows Road is pending investigation, FDOT respectfully refers inquiries to law enforcement regarding this incident and any available information.
“As is standard operating procedure, FDOT reviews all reported crashes on state roadways and interstates – a special emphasis is placed on fatalities and crashes with injuries. If there are improvements that can be made to enhance the safety of the facilities, FDOT will work to implement them. This process includes careful analysis by professional engineers and other evaluations that may be warranted.
“This process relies on empirical data and engineering standards to guide roadway improvements and may take over 90 days to complete, depending on the proposed recommendations.”
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