Following a fatal crash last Wednesday at the intersection of US 98 and Regions Way, Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner is urging citizens to support safety improvements at the dangerous crossing.
- Wagner posted on social media that the April 2 accident claimed one life, bringing renewed urgency to implement recommendations from a Florida Department of Transportation study.
“Today, a tragic crash at US 98 and Regions Way took a life,” Wagner wrote. “This intersection has seen 60 crashes, 14 injuries, and now, 1 fatality.”
According to the FDOT study conducted by Florida Transportation Engineering, the intersection has been the site of 60 documented crashes over a five-year period, with 14 crashes resulting in injuries requiring medical transportation.
The study points to several factors contributing to the dangerous conditions, including significant traffic queuing issues, frequent backup from nearby traffic signals, and “good Samaritan” gestures where drivers wave others through traffic – which accounted for 17 crashes.
- FDOT’s primary recommendation is to reconstruct the existing full median opening at the intersection and convert it to a “directionalized left-turn only” for eastbound and westbound left-turn and U-turn movements, which would prevent traffic from crossing directly across US 98.
Wagner noted that FDOT has already proposed the safer design at no cost to the city through an existing resurfacing project. However, the city must provide a letter of support to move forward with the improvements.
“I’ve brought this to the council before, but the support wasn’t there,” Wagner stated. “With this heartbreaking loss, it’s time to act.”
The mayor encouraged residents to email the city council and attend the upcoming council meeting on April 7 at 6 p.m. at the Destin Annex Building to show support for the safety improvements.
“This is about protecting our neighbors and preventing the next tragedy,” Wagner concluded.
8 Responses
Drive by that intersection on my way to my shift at Home Depot. Extremely dangerous! Here’s the thing. Vehicles coming from Lowe’s and going east on 98 think they can clear the outside west bound lane on 98. Most do! Sometimes east bound traffic is too heavy.Contractors pulling trailers get hung up on the west bound lane and that stops traffic. At 50mph+! They should close that intersection and modify the intersection with a light at Bass Pro.
Just block off the median. Simple fix.
If someone is being courteous and waiving you on, you still need to check both ways to make sure it’s safe to go. Just don’t pull out because someone is being a nice guy – they’re not traffic cops stopping traffic to let you go.
It’s sad that our city council excluding our mayor has taken so long to do the needful at 60 crashes in 5 years and now a death this is kind of lame here. At least the mayor has got some understanding how things work out there. Thank you for being our mayor and possibly saving lives since our city council has been put in it on the back burner for quite some time. Good job Mayor!
Now it’s our turn as citizens to make sure this gets through…soon
This past accident was due to over speeding.
Two very different vehicles speeding “up” at very different times caused this accident.
through a very busy intersection… People that speed or even speed to cut you off to be first in…you make it hard for those trying to follow law and safety measures to manage the safety & decision making time to crossover or make safe oncoming turns. Most people have children in the car…. precious people that they value. .. when you’re trying to cross over into a busy intersection…oncoming traffic that have the right away also have a responsibility too…to slow down and proceed with caution when entering into an intersection….respectfully saying when crossing over into oncoming traffic law says to proceed with caution…as in the right of way need to also be responsible for those that too have the right of way to cross if the speed limit was honored. Laws are written but reality of these laws don’t always make sense in times like these.
Regardless if we have measures to close down this intersection or not ..truth is…many people speeding through our roads or intersection like this particular one…doesn’t have time to account for slight disruption of the flow of traffic with or without traffic lights. Others may see their point of view as a go but when speeding on either lane it can disrupt the view of decision making for everyone.
If you ask me ..there needs to be check points set up throughout all of Destin during tourism season insuring slow speeding traffic and high speeding traffic gets equal accountability. Put up signs throughout our city defining left and right. Define that tourism gets right lanes while locals get left. Locals that don’t have a Florida tag need to respect those that do work in time. We don’t need anymore lights. We need communication . Most people are responsible for their daily driving habits. Locals without jobs or business here are the worst to block traffic due to their own personal need to interfere with “law enforcement” road flow of traffic. Get over and let traffic through. Then maybe people wouldn’t need to fret & reducing the need to speed to get somewhere in time. Get over and have respect for all people needing to get past. I don’t know how many times I’ve witnessed ambulance & firefighters trying to get through traffic and intersections and people sit right where they are entitled through it all doing there own thing…. nothing. I was taught to immediately pull over turn on your hazard lights and let the emergency vehicle through because it could be life or death for the person they are emergent to or with. I was also taught when driving… to slow down at every intersection. This accident happened miles before it actually happened because people don’t get out of the way and choose to drive slow in both lanes. Slower traffic on the right and speed limit on the left. Get the freak out of the way people get over…lose yourself and the need to prove a point because your point to be right can cause a life… & stop with your law enforcement ego. My heart goes out to the family of the motorcyist that lost his life that day and to the beautiful family vehicle he hit. That day…many people experienced life changing experiences that could’ve been prevented if others would’ve been more courteous and moved over miles before this happened.
My name is Mike G on May 8 2023 .i was on my trike motorcycle in the far left turning lane going west the lane was open to the light at Bass Pro I was doing the speed limit and some women trying to squeeze between cars hit me on the right side.i was in the hospital for 3 months then I went to a nursing home for rehab for another 3 months I didn’t walk until December of 2023 CLOSE THE INTERSECTION
How do we send a letter to support this redesign?
Most of the traffic lights are on Highway 98.
Why aren’t there more traffic lights when one needs to turn East or West onto 98?
Those who try to turn left to go into the shopping center where Dick’s is located will block the traffic if they are turning into Silver Shells.
Then people who are leaving that shopping center and want to go East of 98 (turning left) really complicate matters with 3 vehicles blocking each other.
Just marking lines would alleviate lots of congested there or forbidding left hand turns.