LEE COUNTY, Fla. – In a single-lane road like SR 31, drivers often speed. The problem with going over the speed limit or trying to pass another car is encountering animals or other obstacles in the road.
“I would say in the last six months, we’ve probably had 10-12 crashes or so,” said Lt. Charles Nater with Charlotte County Fire and EMS. “A lot of the commercial vehicles haul things that drop off their trucks and either land on the road. If you’re going to stop for someone that’s disabled, not only park your car in a safe location but promote them to be in a safe location. It is a very busy road, it has gotten busier over the years. It is such a long stretch of road that it becomes monotonous, so being alert and awake at all times is definitely important.”
Monday morning, an Orlando man was killed in a crash on SR 31 south of Bermont Road in Punta Gorda. According to Florida Highway Patrol, a 36-year-old Lehigh Acres man driving a pickup truck swerved into oncoming traffic on SR 31 to avoid a hog in the road.
“We’ve had limited visibility throughout Southwest Florida with fog and in addition our rural areas, there’s animals,” said Lt. Greg Bueno with FHP. “Sometimes those animals venture out to the roadways and what’s important is that all of us driving in a car have to pay attention. We have to put our phones down, we have to reduce our speed not only because of the speed limit but because of the elements too.”
When you see debris, an animal, or a disabled vehicle there are a few things you can do:
- Come to a complete stop
- Drive around the object
- Make sure you have control of your vehicle, so you don’t swerve to oncoming traffic
- Put your cell phone down
- Stay alert!
“You have to be aware there’s traffic and the last thing we want to do is swerve to oncoming traffic and hitting someone head-on,” said Lt. Bueno. “Call *FHP or call 911, so we can get someone there, and then we can try to either get the animal to a safe location or respond to get the debris out of the roadway.”
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