RIVERVIEW, Fla — If you drive through South 78th Street and Riverview Drive—you might miss the small sign meant to represent a man larger than life.
94-year-old Philip "Phil" Carr—was a known veteran, skydiver, and "nice guy."
But to Nicole Garcia, he was "grandpa."
"He loved everybody, anybody, would give you the shirt off his back," she said, "He was like the greatest guy I know. He was a really great guy, and I love him."
Garcia told ABC Action News that Carr died after getting into a crash at that intersection on July 6.
"I think that's what hurts me the most. It could have been prevented. There's a lot. There's no traffic light out there, and people speed from both sides," said Garcia.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), between July 2023 and July 2024, there were 12 crashes at or near that intersection. About half of them resulted in some kind of injury.
On Wednesday, August 7, ABC Action News In-depth Reporter Rochelle Alleyne witnessed a thirteenth accident at that crossing.
Dianne Rogers lives in the Alafia Riverfront community—which sits right on that intersection. She told ABC Action News that this trend isn't shocking.
"It's very frightening. I mean, at least our bedroom is back there, but we're always worried that a car may come flying through. You never know," she said.
Carr also lived in that community.
In the wake of his death, his family, Rogers, and a growing number of neighbors are asking the county to do something about the "poor visibility and speeding in that area."
"Since it's a residential area, maybe we can lower the speed limit even for a couple of miles. If we put a light, [it] would probably be nice," said Rogers.
And as they wait for an answer, they're also calling on drivers to do their part.
"Be patient, and just please slow down," said Garcia.
ABC Action News also contacted Hillsborough County to see what could be done about the intersection. A spokesperson for the county sent along the following statement:
"A traffic signal warrant study was completed in 2019. At the time, the intersection did not meet the criteria for a traffic signal.
In response to the recent concerns received, a new traffic study will be conducted, and a work request has been issued to investigate the area for any sight distance concerns."
ABC Action News spoke with several small business owners across Polk County, and the topic on everyone's mind heading into the 2024 election was inflation.
