A 40-year-old Ormond Beach man lost his life in a single-vehicle car crash at the roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway in the early hours of Wednesday (Sept. 14), the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
The crash took place just before 2 a.m. The man, who has not been identified, allegedly speed past a witness at 100 miles per hour, traveling north on U.S. 1 at the wheel of a 2003 BMW, failed to take note of the roundabout and crashed into it. The vehicle overturned and struck a tree, ejecting the victim, who was decapitated.
The witness at the scene reported the crash to authorities as Flagler County Sheriff’s units and the Flagler County Fire Department responded, and soon pronounced the victim deceased there. In keeping with its new policy of withholding names under a misinterpretation of Marsy’s Law, the Florida Highway Patrol has not identified the victim.
U.S. 1 was hut down for a period in the early hours of Wednesday.
The fatal crash was the first at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway since February 7, 2017, when what was at the time one of Flagler County’s most dangerous intersections claimed the lives of five people in a three-vehicle crash. That crash was one of the deciding factors in the Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to build one of two roundabouts on U.S. 1, at that location and at the intersection with Matanzas Woods, where several crashes had also resulted in fatalities. Local residents were largely opposed to roundabouts.
The Old Dixie roundabout was completed in 2020. Until Wednesday, there had been no fatal crashes there since construction, or severe crashes, with one exception: in March 2019, the layout of the narrow construction-zone lanes north of the roundabout was the site of a three-vehicle crash when one vehicle jumped the lane divider and crashed into oncoming traffic. Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. The Matanzas Woods-U.S. 1 roundabout has been free of severe or fatal crashes since completion.
Roundabouts don’t end crashes. But they are proven to reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent, according to the Florida Department of Transportation and reduce the incidence of injuries by 75 percent by reducing severe crashes, wit added environmental benefits.
The 40-year-old man’s death in Wednesday’s crash is the 17th fatality of the year on Flagler County roads.
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Erobot says
I stopped driving on Old Dixie after the second time somebody was driving the wrong way and we narrowly missed each other.
Perhaps others had the same experience and found alternate routes.
Maybe that’s why there are fewer accidents.
Skibum says
Luckily, this reckless driver only killed himself, no innocents involved in this one. No matter what type of traffic control or safety devices are installed on our roadways, they don’t seem to deter the crazies out there. That is why defensive driving by the rest of us is so important… you never know when one of the crazies is going to ruin your day, or your life!
East Bound and Down says
Can’t fix stupid. Let’s be thankful this [likely drunk or stoned] rat bastard popping a hundred miles an hour didn’t decapitate some other poor soul too. It can be argued the new roundabout saved innocent lives.
Richard Smith says
Amazed it took this long. Though plenty of warning before you get there though. That early in the morning who knows what happen. So sad RIP sir..
White Eagle says
The fact there have been no fatal crashes at that intersection probably has to do with the fact that the White Eagle Lounge is closed around the same time and no longer are intoxicated bikers trying to exit a large loose gravel parking lot into 80MPH traffic at 2AM…
Eric Lore says
What is meant by “a misinterpretation of Marsy’s Law”?
FlaglerLive says
Marsy’s Law is explicit in its aim to protect victims of crime, and as such, to prevent the disclosure of “information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family.” Victims of vehicle crashes are not victims of crime except in some circumstances, as is clearly not the case, by definition, in single-car crashes such as the one reported here. FHP is among the state and local agencies that are using Marsy’s Law as a pretext. As the Tampa Bay Times noted, it is applying “blanket secrecy in interpreting the law, leading to basic information about crime in communities [and non-crime incidents] being shielded from the public. It’s an unintended consequence of the law that does nothing to help crime victims.”
HayRide says
You are completely wrong, the White Eagle or the bikers you don’t like, have never been the problem at Old Dixie, it was always the locals that don’t stop entering a highway from a back-road.
PC Dave says
I feel for the witness and the first responders. Witnessing a severe accident, then looking down at a decapitated body is not something that leaves your mind anytime soon. And yes, this guy was driving like an asshole, but, somebody somewhere loved him, and was woken up in the middle of the night with probably the worst news they’ve ever gotten. If driving like an asshole was worthy of a death sentence, Palm Coast would be a ghost town. Lighten up people! Stop being so freakin angry all the time. And let me stop you there Karen. You have no idea if he was under the influence or not.
White Eagle says
You are wrong actually, I liked the eagle thursday nights steak special was a value with good live music and we lived just off old Dixie in Plantation Bay, the bikers were always cool having a good time, but after a few buckets of longnecks, not all of them were good to ride! Plus very poor maintenance of that wide parking lot was very easy to spin out in loose gravel trying to get up to speed quickly onto US 1 with a hefty passenger, coarse gravel spewed all over the roadway from rooster tails of accelerating bikes trying to get out in a break in traffic, It was just sketchy, my ex was a smoker so we’d be out front having a cig often and watching the bikes, Trust me, It was sketch sometimes, we always parked on east side of building out of the way
Bob says
What’s with this new stupid remark calling women ” Karen ” when you disagree with a white women.
Flyingbird says
I use that turnaround often when I drive us1 going south l must get In to the left lane , I must circle half way around to exit into (old Dixie going East ) the North bound traffic has a warning and yield sign . However I have encountered
many passenger and trucks that don’t yield to traffic in circle . That spot is a death trap . Driving on us1 At 100mph In my 40 years here in Flagler I have ever seen anybody running near that speed. (God rest his soul)
Eric Lore says
At least it gives some privacy to the family, even if the privacy is short term. As a former First Responder in Westchester County, N.Y.S., I have seen somethings that I wish I could forget. I always felt sorry for and prayed for the deceased’s family.
Me Too says
I am a white woman and I think it’s hysterical when someone calls someone Karen! Don’t be so sensitive! Keep scrollin!
Me Too says
I’ve driven that fast on US1 in Flagler Co. Not very smart but I did it. Got a ticket too! Don’t need the negative comments. I know I was in the wrong and I paid.
Man from pc flagler says
It could be a medical reason! One of my family members had a seizure because the doctor mix to medicine together. She was driving it was a good thing her daughter was in the car because she put the car in park after the tap the other car. She then moved her foot off the gas. The seizure continue for two weeks. The pharmacy is who caught it.
PC Dave says
Who said anything about white women. That was more a comment to people who would just automatically assume the guy was intoxicated. Bitchy holier than thou people. If you think that’s just white women, that’s on you buttercup.
Eric Lore says
Dave, I looked it up. “Karen” refers to privileged white women. No one else. It is a racist saying about only white women who complain about something that doesn’t go their way. I believe that you didn’t intend to disparage anyone.
Tia says
How dare you..Noah was a beautiful man..His mother depend on him for everything..Have some respect for Noah, he’s not a crazy..
Tia says
No you can’t fix stupid..We lost a very special person..Noah will be deeply missed, he’s not crazy or stupid…RIP Noah 🙏
Dan says
Rotaries from my experience in MA are a total disaster of design, looks great on paper but a life hazard to implement forever.
At the palm coast rotary I nearly totaled some a-hole coming into the rotary that can’t or refused to read the Yield signs!
Read the accident data on rotaries or just experience the fear for yourself.
FlaglerLive says
Personal experiences aside, evidence is overwhelming in proving the far higher safety level of roundabouts as opposed to signalized intersections.
Skibum says
Sorry for his loss, but driving over 100 mph into a roundabout IS crazy, no matter what you might think. Driving that fast on that road at night is crazy, and just asking for an accident, even without coming into a well marked, light flashing approach to that roundabout. He did it to himself, and many innocent people have been killed by crazies just like him. Drivers, especially young drivers who think they are invincible, need to know doing just what he did IS in fact crazy, and dangerous, and in many cases just like this, DEADLY.
HL says
That’s right. He had an incredible and rare soul. One of the kindest you’d have ever met. I was lucky enough to have him work for my business and get to see him interact with people he’d never even met before. He was my friend well before my employee. A fellow gearhead.
FlaglerBear says
I’ve already gone through that roundabout 50 times plus and it seems to be working really well. I would say it was a great idea. It took forever to construct, but once done, it was done right. With respect to the motorist who lost his life there. As a former traffic homicide investigator, we were always taught to assume nothing. When you ASSUME, you Make An Ass out of you And Me. He could have been drunk, just speeding, suicidal, or suffered a medical emergency while driving, which happens quite frequently. Don’t ASSUME. That’s why they investigate. Nevertheless, you can’t help but feel bad; and anyone who doesn’t, well, something is wrong with you.
HL says
Brother, I used to work S. of that roundabout. People run 150 through that stretch, and it was not uncommon. 120 MPH was common, however.