LITHIA, Fla. — Driving Bryant Road is not for the faint of heart.
Irene Lougiakis has lived along the road in Lithia for just a year, but in that short time, she quickly realized few people obey the 35 mile per hour speed limit.
“I’ve definitely felt like cars are passing me probably going at 60-70 miles an hour. You know, it can be in the middle of the day. It could be at night,” she said.
She and other neighbors reached out to ABC Action News, because they want help.
They say the small two-lane road off Lithia Pinecrest Road is being used as a shortcut through the area.
“We had a car that crashed in just around Christmastime and broke the neighbor’s fence right across,” said Lougiakis.
More recently, she says a speeding driver hit and killed her dog, so now she’s worried about her young daughter and the kids who walk to a bus stop on Bryant Road.
“What are we supposed to do? Can we put sandbags in the street, you know? I’ll get in trouble for obstructing the roadway. But what are we supposed to do if we have to take it in our own hands? Am I supposed to hire a cross guard?” she said.
In an email from Hillsborough County, she learned speed bumps can be installed here, but only if homeowners pay out-of-pocket – and only after a speed study and other hurdles.
Neighbors would also like to see another solution here.
“I’d like to see more police,” one of them told us.
On that front, some good news. After we contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) about the speeding on Bryant Road, a spokesperson said deputies will patrol the area over the next few days.
For any traffic complaints in Hillsborough County, you can call the HCSO’s non-emergency number at 813-247-8200 or contact the nearest district office directly.
