The intersection where a fatal crash in Poinciana claimed the lives of four members of a family over the Labor Day weekend is, in theory, now safer.
Thursday morning, Osceola County work crews installed two new stop signs on San Miguel Road at Laurel Avenue, making that intersection a four-way stop. Those were not in place Sept. 3, when a 15-year-old driver, with three otther 15-year-olds in tow, driving a Chevrolet Impala "at a high rate of speed" ran the stop sign headed northbound on Laurel, and crashed into the driver's side door of a Honda HR-V headed westbound on San Miguel.
In the HR-V, 50-year-old driver Trinidad Hernandez, and 9-year-old grandson Marvin Cruz, who was a passenger, died at the scene. Two other children, 11-year-old Miley Cruz and 1-year-old Anayari Hernandez were transported to HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital, where they later died. Their 52-year old grandfather, Angel Hernandez, is the lone survivor and remains hospitalized recovering from the injuries he suffered.
Florida Highway Patrol has yet to release what, or if, charges will be filed against the 15-year-old driver.
Outrage turned into action in a span of 11 days. Thursday morning — in the shadow of a growing memorial to the fallen Cruz and Hernandez family members — crews placed the two new stop signs on San Miguel, and added '4-way stop' signage to those on Laurel. The crew also applied new striping to the intersection, including bold white lines where cars now must stop on San Miguel. As the work went on, some San Miguel drivers stopped before the new signs were in place, almost as if to pay respects to the departed. Once in place, one driver gave a thumbs-up to the crew for their work.
But, on the other hand, it took just 20 minutes for a driver on San Miguel to roll through the stop sign without making a complete stop.
The speed limit on San Miguel is 30 mph. In the area, Koa Street (40 mph) and Marigold Avenue (45 mph) are higher; in comparison, Pleasant Hill Road, the congested artery that connects Poinciana to the west and south sides of Kissimmee, is also 45. The area features similar junctions where a through street connects to more residential roads, like San Remo Drive's intersections with Doverplum Avenue and Koa.
County Commissioner Brandon Arrington, who noted that speed limits are determined by the design of the road, said he's received input on other local intersections that could use safety upgrades.
"We can't stop people from making bad choices on the roadway," he said. "Residents have told me that, it doesn't matter what the speed limit is, those who want to drive fast are going to drive fast. But, we went through our history, and nobody had reached out to me about this intersection, or gone to Road and Bridge, in 10 years. We're looking at making long-term changes to several intersections. Everybody needs to do their part and slow down, and be a little more patient on the roadways."
There is a county project in the planning stages to install four roundabouts on Marigold at Laurel, San Miguel, San Lorenzo Road and Peabody Road.
