The rash of wrecks on Flagler County roads continues.
A violent 11 a.m. collision at the State Road 100 interchange with I-95 sent three people to the hospital, one of them–85-year-old Robert Hodoba of Flagler Beach–with life-threatening injuries, according to a Florida Highway Patrol investigator at the scene.
Wreck County:
- Five Adults Are Killed As a Ford Expedition Carrying 9 Flips on I-95 North of Palm Coast
- Josh Crews, Long-Time Woody’s Bartender and Manager, Killed in Morning Wreck
- Small Recovery Victories for Nate Truelove, the 7-Year-Old in Brutal Old Kings Road Wreck
- Cadillac and Kia in Morning Smash-Up on Northbound I-95 Back Up Traffic for 2 Miles
- Wreck Archive
The wreck occurred between two almost identical Chevrolet SUVs, both with Flagler County license plates. One was a 2002 Chevrolet Trail Blazer, driven by Elsa Rego, 36, of Palm Coast. The other was a 2008 Equinox, driven by Hodoba.
Hodoba was driving westbound on SR100. Rego was driving eastbound, and making a left turn on a green-arrow light, under I-95 bridge, to enter the on-ramp northbound. Hodoba went through a red light and his Equinox’s front struck the turning Trail Blazer on its side, overturning it and sending it against the on-ramp curb.
Rego and a 15-year-old boy, whose identity was not released, were taken by ambulance to nearby Florida Hospital Flagler with minor injuries, as was Hodoba in the other SUV, with more critical injuries. He had heart complications, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Hodoba was later flown to Shands Hospital in Jacksonville. All three crash victims were wearing their seatbelts.
Three Playstation DVDs were strewn outside the overturned SUV among the shattered-glass debris.
Westbound traffic on SR 100 was briefly blocked, then opened to one-lane traffic. The Florida Highway Patrol was investigating the scene at mid-day. The Flagler Beach, Flagler County and Palm Coast fire departments all responded, along with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
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Note: an earlier version of this story, based on an earlier report by FHP Spokesman Bill Leeper, listed the wrong name for the driver of the Trail Blazer.
Orion says
Someone ran the red light either East or West bound: they both did not have the right of way. Just one hour prior to this, I witnessed a close call, due to someone running a red light. I questioned the sanity of this type of intersection/off ramp with the State of Florida and they said they already had a similar one in Jacksonville, and I acknowledged that, as it’s right at the COSTCO store…They did admit, that the one in Jacksonville did have numerous accidents, but the RESIDENTS were getting familar with it, and a reduction in mishaps was expected. My response was that many are residents, but many are just through drivers on I-95, coming off the ramp to eat or get gas, and have to learn the interchange right away.. I also questioned, the lack of “merging lanes” off SR100, ..This was an exchange designed and drawn in the office, with no outside common sense thought. ..Another example of someone, at the Gov’t level telling us, what is best for us.. Let the crashes continue..
Citizen says
This is by far the worst intersection I have ever seen. I have seen people go the wrong way, turn towards oncoming traffic, etc. It is extremely confusing especially for travelers stopping thru
Viola says
I don’t like this intersection either .. it is very confusing and I am not surprised this happened .. have seen close calls too!! Don’t like to turn off the interstate to go east of go onto the interstate from the west .. would think there could have been a better way to do this. Hope all parties involved are okay!
saddened says
on top of the bad intersection-the pics clearly show lots of driver distracting things-like play station games,dvd’s-a cd holder packed with cd’s—not saying that vehicle is at fault-but accident scenes look more and more like living rooms exploded onto the street..
people have no clue how to drive anymore…
carolyn marlow says
Sunday Afternoon I too was almost hit head on by a car exiting the south bound I95 ramp and making a left towards SR100West. The driver was in the wrong lane. I thought than, how lucky i was and many times have thought this is a disaster waiting to happen; especially for cars exiting for gas etc that don’t drive this daily and understand how confusing it is. I IMPLORE the City of Palm Coast to PLEASE fix it up or paint signs, have directional arrows or something to help direct the traffic flow….How many people have to get hurt or die before they do something?
lawabidingcitizen says
I coudn’t agree more with the comment above. This is worst traffic configuation I’ve ever seen. Going east from north I 95 is a nightmare even if you’ve done it dozens of times.
dave clair says
I see so many close call there, one driver almost nailed me recently. Drivers need to remember that it is an intersection, slow down going through ! It gives everyone a chance to survive !
Merrill says
I was on this scene shortly after it occurred and appreciate knowing what happened thanks to FlaglerLive! Orion, I’m with you. Do traffic engineers have a name for this type of intersection? With such bad prior experience isn’t it time to outlaw this configuration? Who do we call on a state level to get some answers?
Michelle says
Gee, Saddened Says, I didn’t think having things in the car to occupy the kids made a person a bad driver. I guess I shouldn’t put my groceries in the car either – I might want to start make a sandwich or start dinner using my cigarette lighter.
D says
Good One Michelle
saddened says
everyone is aware michelle posted her comment while going down i95 at 90 mph right?….
Jojo says
It is a very dangerous unorthodox criss-cross turn. Can you imagine new comers to this intersection at night especially when they have the light doing 50 mph. It’s Wooooooooooo all of a sudden.
Attorneys in this State need to start suing the DOT (Dept of Trouble) for wanton and total disregard of people’s life in this State.
There design of highways and byways, of on ramps and off ramps are seriously ill designed. Take for instance the N/B Ormond Beach Exit on I-95 (US!). How the DOT got away with this design is beyond me. Just about every week a Tractor-trailor or 3,000 pound oil tanker would overturn because of the sharp winding exit ramp.
And, DRIVERS’ ARE THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY – SLOW DOWN!
C'mon Man! says
This still does not change the fact someone ran the Red Light. The intersection is irrelevent! Start sending folks to re-take their road test more often as they get older…weed out the bad drivers. Like the one crashing into McDonalds or the one driving into Perkins. Common denominator in all these accidents? Some to old!
Barney Smythe says
Orion..last time I checked, if someone has a left turn green arrow, oncoming traffic usually has a red light. Which someone whose 82 ran! But of course he had a medical condition. Yet another reason for anyone over 65 to take a driving test every year and present their medical records to DMV.
Barney Smythe says
As for the design of the intersection, try driving in a real city like Jax or Orlando. There’s nothing wrong with it other than the people using it.
I’ve said it before..Flagler County roads, both local and interstate, are some of the worse in Florida along with Flagler drivers.
C'mon Man! says
You got that right, Barney! ! ! ! !
2 Cents says
Who wants to wager that the city will install red light cameras at this intersection.
Because those cameras sure do stop accidents.
Or do they increase revenue?
Jojo says
It won’t stop accidents. This intersection is not a normal intersection and will take a driver entering it for the first time to be very confused. It is an accident waiting to happen. Watch!
Bill says
i think it is called a single point intersection and is it not the same as the one just south at rt40 in ormond.
Barney Smythe says
It’s really simple…one had the right away with the arrow (no confusion there)…old man, who probably shouldn’t have been driving, RUNS RED LIGHT!!!! How would a camera stopped this accident? How will changing the design, which is used in every other major city, stop an old man from running the light??
Husband & father says
My wife and stepson were the victims of this accident !!! They had the right of way with a green light !!! These elderly people need to be tested on a more frequent basis and that is all there is to it !!! I’m sickened by this and will go to the extreme to attempt a permanent change on how licenses are issued. It should be as simple as ordering your license over the internet anymore, especially after a certain age. The specific age I can not say, but, there needs to be one. Individuals with diagnosed heart problems or medical issues that could result in possible vehicle accidents should also be taken into consideration. I understand that anyone could fall victim to an unknown medical problem, but, in instances like that, of course it was obviously unknown. That accident would not have been prevented because of red camera lights or a better engineered or designed intersection. That prevention of an accident of that nature is to not allow individuals to drive that should be driving. PERIOD !!! That old man was a liability the moment he got behind the wheel of his car. It automatically became a 3000 pound weapon.
Husband & father says
Sorry, meant to say that it should NOT be as simple as ordering a license via the internet for everyone !!!!!!
Husband & father says
That prevention of an accident of that nature is to not allow individuals to drive that should NOT be driving. PERIOD !!!
ItsMe says
@ 2 cents…..The city can’t put those cameras on a state road.
Ariana says
I understand that this type of thing is very upsetting–and rightfully so. But u also have to recognize that ppl of ANY age can have a cardiac event–sometimes unprecedented. And if you are driving in your car and begin to have this type of issue and SEE that you are right there near a hospital….What do you think most ppl will do? Try to get themselves to that hospital and save their lives… It was just fortunate that that woman and her child were not seriously injured, or worse…
I am not saying that that is not a crappy intersection.. I travel that way MOST days… And it CAN be confusing (just like all of Palm Coast–set up by letters, yet it’s the only place where ‘k’ and ‘z’ can occur NEXT to each other! wtf?). But installing cameras, painting signs, or redrawing the lanes isn’t going to stop the insanity that goes on there… Many ppl are coming off the hwy–texting or talking on cell phones, looking for gas/restaurants instead of watching the road…. Hell, I even see numerous accidents getting on the SB I-95 ramp, and you can’t blame the lanes on THAT one… It’s usually high school-ers that are doing much of the same things, and hitting the hwy to hurry up and get where they are going… You know, “get there 5min sooner, or one day not at all”… I dunno what the solution for this is….
Jojo says
I still say that intersection is flawed and the proof is in the statistics. For example, say we run a 6 month to one year study of accidents to compare with other Flagler County intersections (which is somewhat flawed already because there are no other designs like that available to compare) or we can compare to normal exiting ramps Off I-95. We can compare (A) Our Intersection with the flawed design compared to (B) a normal exit ramp.
Because of this design flaw I believe that young and old will have accidents at that location.
PC MAN says
Jojo, two women were killed and one critically injured near my home recently and the road design and intersection could not be any simpler (Pine Lakes Pkwy & Woodbury). One road with a stop sign intersects the other, yet at midnight with hardly any cars on the road a collision occurs. You can’t help distracted drivers.
Barney Smythe says
Jojo There are plenty of intersections just like that in Orlando, Tampa and Jax.
Actually, a better survey would be why is the 10 miles of 95 through Flalgler one of the most deadly.
Jojo says
Barney, I attribute that to speeding and driver inattention. Unfortunately, the recent tragedy with the family ( five killed and counting) was a result of a blowout. I had a blowout 25 years ago doing 70 mph and I struggled to keep the car from flipping. Very scary situation I overcame.
citizen of FB says
ANYONE can have a cardiac incident. anyone. Even if you were otherwise healthy before. Doesn’t have to do with age. There are 20 year olds having heart attacks, are you going to tell them they can’t have drivers licenses? I think not. You are just being mean and bitter. Get over it. Your family survived, the other guy didn’t. Thank God that you can celebrate Christmas with your wife and stepson, his family can’t. You wouldn’t be saying ugly things if it was your loved one who caused the accident, because that’s what it was. An accident. It could have happened to anyone one of us. Again, thank GOD that you still have your family.
Daughter of driver says
My daddy was Robert Hodoba, the man who drove through that red light. My Father is a great driver I have driven with him many times. He may have been 85 years old but he was a fit and mentally alert as a 60 year old. His doctor, anyone in his church or in his wife’s nursing facility will tell you he was in great shape. He was honerable, trustworthy, a Father to everyone who knew him well. Those of you who assume he should not be driving should know ALL the facts before judgeing someone. He was a GREAT man. His death broke the hearts of many who knew him and his family. Maybe you should be greatful that you still have your family with you. I am sure you had a wonderful Christmas. That is more than I can say. Be Thankful.
Betsy Hodoba says
Thank you Citizen of FB. That man was my Father and he was in good health. A retired Teamster who drove truck for 45 years and NEVER had an accident. When its you time…