Michelle Hunter Roberts, 59, was killed moments before midnight in the night of Friday to Saturday in a two-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Belle Terre Parkway and Pine Grove Parkway.
Roberts was a passenger in a 2003 Chevy Malibu driven by Richard R. Kelley, 39. Kelley sustained serious injuries and was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler. Another passenger, Stephanie Daley, 36, was also seriously injured and transported to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Roberts and Kelley were traveling south on Belle Terre, in the left turn lane. Christopher S. Goodwin, 25, was driving north in a 2013 Nissan Sentra.
Kelley made a left turn to get onto Pine Grove, directly in the path of the Sentra, according to FHP. The Sentra T-boned the Malibu on the passenger side, killing Roberts.
Goodwin sustained minor injuries.
The Palm Coast Fire Department and Flagler County Fire Rescue responded to the wreck, as did the Palm Coast Fire Police, which closed that segment of road for several hours as the investigation was conducted.
Charges are pending against Kelley.
The Belle Terre intersection with Pine Grove has had its share of wrecks. A cyclist was critically injured there in October 2012 when he was crossing the crosswalk on Belle Terre and struck by a car making a turn from Pine Grove onto Belle Terre. Last February, a school bus pulling out of Pine Grove struck a van that had been waiting in the median to make a left to go south on Belle Terre. Three occupants of the van and a student on the bus sustained minor injuries.
brandy says
Ever thought of adding a light maybe?
Jessica says
I witnessed this accident last night and stood on the side of the road for an hour waiting to give my report to FHP. It’s completely ludicrous that the charges are against Kelley when the other driver sped past us and plowed into them and his only care when we jumped out to help was about his car he just bought. Lives were lost. He killed someone and his material possession was his only concern. It’s just sickening.
m&m says
There’s enough lights along Belle Terre. I’m sorry for the loss of life but it looks like driver error..
orphan says
Add a light? Add a light???
If the people behind the wheels of these vehicles that are causing the criminal assaults on other motorists were to operate in a safe and responsible manner then there would BE no need for ANOTHER traffic light– anywhere!
Get a grip, people! More government control doesn’t necessarily mean ‘peace and prosperity’!
“Add a light” indeed! We are still such a rural area that I find most of the added ‘lights’ useless. When I have to stop at so damn many lights where I am the ONLY vehicle waiting–the curses aren’t just mumbled. nuff said
Anonymous says
Yup , then there will be a light every 50 yards cause people can’t drive
Ben Dover says
Jesus Brandy not another light for Gods sake , how bout Manfrey station officers outside the front doors of all the local bars and give motorist a sobriety test before they get in their car, if they fail and no one with them is sober enough to drive, you call em a cab , wouldn t it be nice if the police dept really did protect and serve , instead of hide and screw you with speeding tickets on the exact side of a limit change , why add another light the counsel can rig for us to get stuck at to try and make us beat it out and get one of their outrageous 158 dollar tickets, the news journal just puiblished some insane story about how Palm Coast is the happening town people like to visit and move to, people come here once see all the nazi cams and don t come back , hotels juist lost like 23& of business from last year, storesare hurting too , no body want to come to a town where lights are rigged tio get caught at every one and yellow timing is half the norm hyou sit in traffic and waste your gas , don t ever utter that filthy light word again soon there will be one at the end of each of our driveways
The Truth says
The answer to every tragedy is not always a traffic light. Unfortunately, the driver of this vehicle made a big mistake and this poor woman lost her life because of it. As drivers, we need to be more cautious. This happened in the dead of the night, so it wasn’t a high traffic time where people are in a rush to go home.
I know it’s easy to say: “We need a light here.” but I am sure those same people would complain as their driving down Belle Terre Parkway and hitting a light every 300 ft.
Rich says
My prayers go out to all involved as well as the families. There are already 15 traffic lights on Belle Terre from Matanzas Woods Parkway to State Road 100. That is a distance of 10.4 miles. How about being a little more careful and a lot more patient when driving.
Anonymous says
it seems to me the “Wonderful” red light cameras are not where needed!!! Why not remove the one on 100 that is at the entrance to the HOSPITAL!!!! Never have i seen anything as stupid as that. How many more wrecks at Belle Terre and Pine Grove are needed before something is done??!!! This town has become a joke!!! Sad!! You are either afraid of getting killed either on foot , cycle or car. Or scared to navigate the cameras. So sorry for all involved in this tragedy.
The Geode says
Why don’t we place lights on EVERY intersection? Heaven forbid we have the audacity to expect people to drive more responsibly and respect the laws of the road….
confidential says
We need re-education and stricter penalties for right of way traffic violation as we have too many victims…
I see it all the time.
Genie says
Look, people are dying here. Maybe it’s time for a memorial or something? These people were all loved by somebody and they are dying as a result of carelessness.
I’d also like to suggest that the police dept. do more patrolling in these areas, instead of hiding in the bushes on Old King’s Road trying to catch speeders. I don’t think anybody has died over there, but the death toll for Belle Terre and US 1 is rising. Put these cops where they can do some good. It’s not that we don’t appreciate all that you do, it just seems like the need is elsewhere.
Maybe I am wrong. I just don’t want to see more people die on our roads.
James says
There are ne that is necessary.times when stop lights are important and this is necessary. Pine Grove has been a problem and unfortunately there will be more accidents here. Yes govt over steps their bounds but there are times when we need our govt to step up and do their job. Yes to traffic light.
Ginger Grant says
Maybe instead of spending millions on a new city hall the city should have its own Police Dept. It seems the deputies are spread very thin handling burglaries and other major crimes. Traffic cops – they’re not.
PC should have had their own cop shop years ago. I guess nutts and his cronies think fancy new digs are much more important than extra protection for the residents. Sooo glad I don’t live out there.
Ed says
Michelle was my good friend and I just wanted to say thank you. And to all of you who have commented… Good God forbid you be inconvenienced by a stoplight. I would much prefer people loose their loved ones to having 30 seconds added to my trip time!!!
livesinpalmcoast says
Maybe not another traffic light but we do need street lights in this city. The only time you get lights is ONE at a intersection of roads. We need more throughout the roads here. At night everything is so dark in Palm Coast. Just saying…..
Diane says
This town is the most ridiculous one that I’ve ever lived in on how to spend money! Put in another park or a red light camera or plant another tree or etc………People drive absolutely awful here for a small town. The police are busy with drug offenders or transients selling them. Then there is all the sex offenders. Your priorities are so screwed up! How fast was the other driver going? At midnite? Somebody is really pulling a good one on the tax payers here. Oh by the way, try to turn right onto Bridgehaven Dr.; no turn lane! But the town wants 10,000 dollars to put one in. But the median is beautiful! Wait until you’re rear ended when U slow down to turn. Please do some good and listen to the residents and spend our tax dollars where WE want them.
Anonymous says
Maybe we should get rid of red light cameras and actually place officers there to do thier job. Before you know it they will put speed camera traps up and our sheriff’s office is getting fatter and lazy.