PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Karen Harro can’t seem to catch a break. This week, she has shelled out $800 bucks just months after buying her fire red mustang.
"The first tire was the one I put the plug in here on the drivers side,” she said, as she pointed out the tire. “Last week I picked up another nail in the passengers rear and I wound up having to have all of my tires replaced.”
She’s not alone — dozens of people haven't taken to Facebook to vent about the same thing. They say they’ve picked up nails in their tires and chips in their windshields as they drive down State Road 54 near Little Road.
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"I thought I was just having bad luck,” said Harro.
Construction is on nearly every corner in that area right now and drivers wonder if that’s the cause.
"We welcome the growth in Pasco but maybe we could all do a little bit better to help each other so we don’t have to go through replacing our tires so often,” Harro said.
One driver sent pictures of two screws in her tires. Another woman was driving at high speed on the Suncoast Parkway when her tire blew. She believes she picked up a nail near SR-54 and Little Road, where she drives every day.
The first thing you should do is pull over to a safe location, take pictures of the damage and what you ran over.
Next, call police if there is a danger to the public. Call the agency with jurisdiction over the road and report the debris immediately so crews can clean it up, and help save others from damage.
SR-54 would fall under the Florida Department of Transportation.
Pasco County Code enforcement went out to the site and spoke with the job site manager. The job site managers assured code enforcement they would let the contractors know to make sure they secure all their materials so they don’t violate the code.
Pasco County hasn’t received any complaints into their customer service line, so they encourage people to call 727-847-2411 to alert them of concerns.
Public works will send a crew to assess things to make sure the right of way is clear of any debris on Thursday as well.
If the debris is left by police, a highway crew or a pothole, you may be reimbursed. FDOT officials say it's a case by case situation.
"The challenge is, you’ve got to see the nail come off the person’s truck. How do you know who did it?” asked Kathryn Starkey, county commissioner for district 3. But, she says it’s important for everyone to call in concerns.
Otherwise, you can contact your insurance company and file a claim, depending on your coverage it shouldn't impact your insurance rate.
