The Flagler County Commission is asking the Palm Coast City Council to reconsider installing some of its 52 spy-and-snap traffic cameras on SR100 because the county claims it will inhibit shopping and tourism, and leave a bad taste in visitors’ mouths just as the county is advertising itself as a welcoming beachside destination.
Traffic Accidents
Former Palm Coast Councilman William Venne Is Hurt Along With Flagler Deputy in a Crash
William Venne, 80, a member of the Palm Coast City Council from 2000 to 2007, crashed into a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser driven by Darrell Butler, 26, at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway Thursday evening.
John M. Robinson, 33, Killed in Motorcycle Wreck on US1, Third Bike Fatality in a Row
John Michael Robinson, 33, of Palm Coast, was traveling north on U.S. 1 after midnight this morning (Sept. 14) when he lost control, overturned, and was was killed at the scene, the third motorcycle-related fatality on Flagler roads in six weeks.
Car Overturns on U.S. 1; Injured, Fleeing Driver Is Caught and Booked on Several Warrants
Three people were sent to the hospital, one of them after he fled on foot and was caught and handcuffed about 500 yards south of the wreck scene. He had several warrants out on him.
John Melvin, 56, of Bunnell, Is Killed in a Motorcycle Wreck on U.S. 1
John Melvin, 56, of Bunnell, was riding his Honda motorcycle south on U.S. 1, just north of the Old Dixie Highway intersection., when he failed to navigate a curve that has seen its share of wrecks over the years.
Thelma Wagenhoffer, Who Drove Her Car Into Belle Terre Publix, Loses Her License
Thelma Wagenhoffer, the 76-year-old woman who drove her Toyota Camry through the glass entrance of the Publix Supermarket on Belle Terre Parkway on April 14, was found guilty of careless driving Thursday in Flagler County traffic court.
SUV Crosses Belle Terre, Flips Across Ditch And Through Backyard; One Woman Hurt
A Palm Coast nurse’s aid, was at the wheel of her Ford Escape SUV when she lost control going down Belle Terre Parkway at lunchtime and flipped through the backyard of a house on Point of Woods Drive. She was rtaken to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Two-Week DUI Crackdown Begins on Flagler and Florida Roads as FHP and Sheriff Mobilize
The Florida Highway Patrol and the Flagler County Sheriff’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign begins Aug. 17 and stretching through the Labor Day weekend, which ends Sept. 3. It’s part of a national anti-DUI campaign, but no local checkpoints are scheduled.
Elmer Leroy Goostree of Bunnell in Critical Condition Following US1 Wreck Early Today
Goostree was traveling south on U.S. 1, not far past State Road 100 in Bunnell, when he ran off the road, on a curve, “for reasons unknown,” according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Second Multi-Vehicle Pile-Up in 2 Weeks, Involving 3 Trailers, on Palm Coast Part of I-95
A tractor trailer overturned in the pile-up and leaked fuel, triggering a hazardous material situation, while two other trailers were damaged and a sedan was nearly demolished, and two of I-95’s northbound lanes were closed for more than seven hours.
5-Vehicle Wreck Involving 14 People Shuts Rain-Soaked I-95 Late Saturday Night
A chain wreck on I-95 two miles south of Palm Coast Parkway Saturday night shut down the highway for 90 minutes as rescue personnel tended to 14 people involved, including six juveniles.
Second Grave Crash in 14 Hours, on A1A in Beverly Beach, Injures 2 Critically
A head-on wreck between two vehicles sent two people to Halifax hospital with critical, traumatic injuries and closed State Road A1A in Beverley Beach after 12:30 p.m.
Pedro Riera, 48, Is Killed in Motorcycle Wreck on White View Parkway in Palm Coast
Pedro Riera, 48, a resident of Wittlesey Lane in Palm Coast, was killed Wednesday night as he rode his Harley Davidson into a car crossing White View Parkway, at Rolling Sands Drive, driven by Shelby Cuccurullo.
Lane Burnsed Is Laid to Rest to the Words of Job and a Community’s Grief
Lane Burnsed, 19, was laid to rest Wednesday as hundreds of friends and family members paid their respects to his father, Capt. Jamey Burnsed, and his wife Iola, whose roots in the community run broad and deep.
A Vigil of 300 Flickers with Solidarity and Sorrow For Meredith Smith and Lane Burnsed
Some 300 people turned out Sunday evening on the sands of Flagler Beach, including the parents of Meredith Smith and Lane Burnsed, the teens killed in a wreck on I-95 Thursday. The crowd was mostly young, emotional and subdued.
Families Mourning Loss of Meredith Smith, 17, and Lane Burnsed, 19, Killed in Wreck
Meredith Smith, 17, and Lane Burnsed, 19, killed on I-95 in a three-vehicle accident Thursday, had attended Flagler Palm Coast High School. Three other people were critically injured.
Storm Burst: Two Wrecks, 10 Victims, Most Children or Teens, Few Injuries
Five teen-agers were in a truck that overturned after hitting an electric pole (which burst into periodic flames) at Old Kings Road and Frontier Drive in Palm Coast; an older woman was at the wheel of an SUV, with four young children, that ended up upright against the trees on I-95 within an hour of the other wreck.
Palm Coast’s Pre-2010 Red-Light Camera Fines in Question Following Latest Court Decision
The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach on Friday found Orlando’s red-light traffic cameras illegal before they were standardized by a state law in 2010. Palm Coast’s set up was similar to Orlando’s. But the decision does not affect the current camera set up or the fine structure.
Waste Pro Garbage Truck’s Hydraulic Leak Closes Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday Morning
A Waste Pro garbage truck’s hydraulic line broke as it was driving east on Palm Coast Parkway early this morning, forcing a shut-down of the road for two and a half hours just as rush hour was beginning.
Car Strikes 4-Year-Old on Florida Park Drive; “Thankfully We Don’t Have to Deal With a Tragedy”
The 4-year-old boy was darting across Florida Park Drive from one house to another, in front of Francis Collins, a 69-year-old resident of Frederick Lane, who was going slower than the speed limit. Collins’s Honda struck the boy, but resulting in no life-threatening injuries.
Cyclist Michael The Nguyen in Critical Condition After A1A Crash in Ponte Verda Beach
Michael The Nguyen, 56, was on a bicycle, riding south on State Road A1A in Ponte Verda Beach, when Mark E. Bailey struck him with his Ford F-150 at Dolphin Boulevard. Nguyen was airlifted to Shands Jacksonvile in critical condition.
FHP’s Crackdown and the Prohibitionist Politics of Drunk Driving: A Dissent
Taking aim at today’s deployment of 40 FHP troopers on I-95, Darrell Smith calls the targeting of people who drink–as opposed to drunk drivers–a brown-shirted example of a police state mentality too readily embraced by the public.
Palm Coast Woman Hospitalized Following 2-SUV Wreck on US1, By Hess Station
Mary Rosalind Barber, a 52-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was driving north on U.S. 1 near the Hess station Thursday afternoon when a Georgia driver with four passengers cut into her right of way, slamming Barber’s SUV to its side.
FHP Deploying 40 Troopers and 2 Planes on I-95 in Flagler and 3 Other Counties Friday
The Florida Highway Patrol’s Operation Checkered Flag will take place Friday, July 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., targeting aggressive, drunk and speeding drivers. FHP is asking civilian drivers to report such drivers throughout the day, which coincides with races at the Daytona Speedway.
Drunk, She Strikes Sheriff’s Deputy’s Car Thinking She Hit a Mailbox, and Drives On
Colleen Comfort, a 45-year-old resident of Collingwood Lane in Palm Coast, thought she hit a mailbox when she nearly ripped the door off a sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser while the deputy was conducting an unrelated traffic stop on Palm Harbor Parkway Wednesday night.
Sarah Namdar-Yeganeh, 28, Flagler School Superintendent’s Daughter, in Critical Condition
Sarah Jean Namdar-Yeganeh, 28, the daughter of Flagler Superintendent Janet Valentine, was ejected from her car in a two-vehicle wreck on I-95 Wednesday afternoon.
Car Rams a School Bus With 34 Children on Board, at Whiteview Parkway; No One Hurt
A Flagler County school bus on a run to three schools was rammed from behind by a Mitsubishi Friday morning, startling the 34 students on board but causing minor damage to the bus and no injuries.
Eric Zimmerman, 42, a Veteran, Is Killed Crossing SR100 in Palm Coast Thursday Evening
Eric Zimmerman, 42, a Gulf War veteran, was crossing State Road 100 on the approach to I-95 when he crossed into the path of a Toyota SR5 4 Runner in the outside, eastbound lane of the highway Thursday evening. The fatal collision closed SR100 eastbound for two hours.
T-Bone Wreck at Winn Dixie on SR100 Sends 3 Teens to Hospitals
The 3 p.m. wreck at the entrance of Winn Dixie on SR100 sent a teen-ager with critical or serious injuries to Halifax Hospital, and two other teens to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Second Elderly Plantation Bay Woman Dies After May 3 Wreck With a Truck on US1
Harriet Look, 76, died May 4. Diane Teske, 68, died on Sunday (May 7); they were leaving Plantation Bay when they violated the right-of-way of a pick-up truck hauling scrap metal. Paulo Rodrigues, the driver of the truck, is in serious condition. May
Camper-Hauling SUV Flips on I-95 in Palm Coast, Hurting Two; 5 Dogs Also Rescued
An SUV hauling a 25-foot camper lost control about a mile past the intersection with Palm Coast Parkway after 11 a.m. and flipped both SUV and the camper into a ditch, hurting two people in the SUV. No other vehicle was involved.
Pick-Up vs. Minivan Smash-Up Hospitalizes Two and Shuts Traffic at SR100 and CR302
The near-head-on-wreck at a notorious intersection closed traffic on State Road 100 for 75 minutes after 5:15 this afternoon as people were heading home, and Fire Flight evacuated a seriously 24-year-old Michele A. Brown of Bunnell.
Palm Coast’s Maria Berlatta, 17, Crashes Her Car Into a Bedroom Where a Woman Was Sleeping
Maria Anne Berlatta, 17, was driving south on Palm Coast’s Cochise Ct. Tuesday evening when a deer ran across the road, sending Berlatta’s car across a yard and into the bedroom of a house where a woman was sleeping.
Pick-Up Truck Nearly Decapitated in Rig Collision on SR100; Driver, 21, Critical
Luke Weston Barraclough, 21, was driving west on State Road 100 when he failed to see a rig in time as the rig was making a turn onto a cabbage farm to pick up a load. Fire Flight took Weston to Halifax Hospital with serious injuries. SR100 was closed for 90 minutes this afternoon.
Bunnell’s Freddie Emanuel Airlifted to Halifax After Being Struck by a Car On East Booe
Freddie Emanuel, 57, was crossing Bunnell’s East Booe Street when he was struck by a car. Emanuel has spent many of his recent years in the Florida prison system.
Car Plows Through Publix Entrance at Belle Terre; 10 Injured, But Heroic Acts, Too
A car plowed at least 20 feet through the main entrance of Publix at the Belle Terre and Palm Coast Parkway at 1:30 this afternoon causing eight injuries and one trauma alert. Authorities are at the scene evaluating the injured. Will have more details at they become available.
Anthony Rogers, Troubled Man Trying to Right His Life, Is Killed in Bike Wreck On Matanzas
Antony Rogers, 19, of Palm Coast, was riding with Lauren Kashtan, 17, who suffered serious injuries in the wreck when Rogers failed to negotiate a curve and crashed against a palm tree.
Biker Airlifted in Critical Condition After Car Cuts Him Off at US1 and Matanzas
Robert O’Conner of Palm Coast was traveling north on US1 when an 88-year-old driver misjudged the distance between his Dodge and the Harley, and crossed US1 at Matanzas. The biker smashed into the Dodge.
“Exceptional Bravery and Courage”: How Teens Saved 2 Lives in Harrowing Palm Coast Wreck
Cody Decker and Luke Vaughn, both 17 and vacationing in Palm Coast from DeWitt, Mich., recounted in a moving ceremony hosted by Sheriff Fleming today how they saved Carlos Adams and Tracy Lopez out of their burning Jaguar Tuesday morning.
Two Teens on Spring Break Pull Victims Out of Fiery Jaguar Crash on Palm Coast Parkway
Cody Decker, 17, and Luke Vaughn, also 17, on Spring Break from Dewitt, Mich., pulled Carlos Adams, 42, and Tracy Lopez, 44, out of their burning Jaguar on Palm Coast Parkway early Tuesday morning.
Literal Landing Blvd. for Fire Flight Helicopter and Paralyzed Car Crash Patient
Fire Flight, the county’s helicopter, was called in to take a 50-year-old man to Halifax after a minor rear-ending complicated spinal surgery the man had undergone in September. The rear-ending left him paralyzed from the waist down.
FPC’s Preston Hagens Is Seriously Injured in SR100 Crash; FHP Seeking Witnesses
A T-bone crash closed SR100’s west lanes for two hours Saturday and sent three people to hospitals when a Ford Mustang lost control and crossed into the westbound lanes. FHP is looking for witnesses.
Fernando Chavez, Biker Hurt March 16 in A1A Crash in Flagler Beach, Dies
In the fifth Bike Week accident on Flagler roads, a biker speeding south on A1A in Flagler Beach struck a car this afternoon and was evacuated by air in critical condition.
Sixth Serious Bike Week Wreck, on A1A, Sends 2 to Hospital After BMW Cuts Off Motorcyclists
A man in a BWM cut off a married couple from Jacksonville on their Harley Davidson as the man was making an illegal turn into a JT Seafood Shack parking lot. The couple sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Spectacular Crash on Colbert Lane, Better Result: No Injuries, But a DUI Arrest
A spectacular crash closed Palm Coast’s Colbert Lane south of Blare Drive for almost two hours Thursday night as an Oldsmobile overturned and blocked most of the road after colliding with a BMW that ended up on the road’s shoulder. Despite the violence of the crash, no one was injured.
One Bike, One Victim Left Critical in Latest Bike Week Crash, By Weigh Station On I-95
Ronnie Reynolds, 54, of Richlands, Va., was evacuated by air in critical condition to Halifax Hospital after brakes malfunctioned and sent him and the bike tumbling five or six times.
Diana Sallee Dies from Injuries in Monday’s Bike Crash on A1A; First Bike Week Fatality In Flagler
Billy and Diana Sallee were vacationing for the first time in 12 years, to Bike Week, when their bike rear-ended an SUV on A1A Monday. Diana, 39, died of her injuries Tuesday evening at Halifax in Daytona Beach.
Woman’s Arm Severed in 3rd Bike Week Wreck in 5 Days on Flagler Roads
A single-bike wreck on State Road 11 south of Cody’s Corner left a woman with a severed left arm and her fiancee, who was piloting the bike, with various fractures Tuesday afternoon.
Bike Week Claims First Flagler County Victims As 3 Are Hospitalized After U.S. 1 Wreck
The wreck took place at 3:15 p.m. and sent a woman and two men to hospitals, two of them by air, in trauma alerts. All three are expected to survive.
Palm Coast At Its Worst: Felled on Old Kings Road, and for 20 Minutes, Nobody Stops
Inna Hardison’s 20-year-old son was traveling on his motorcycle on Old Kings Road the evening of March 3rd when he struck a boar and was thrown from the bike and injured. It was 20 minutes before anyone bothered to stop and help.