PASCO COUNTY — Angelica Johnson has reason to feel apprehension as she takes her bike toward US 19 in Pasco County.
“Every time I ride on 19 I have blood pumping, much anxiety. It’s overwhelming to say the least.”
Angelica’s luck ran out recently when she says a car hit her. “This looks ten times better than what it was. It was so bad.”
Luckily she walked away from the crash, but many people in Pasco County do not.
Jason Stone Injury Lawyers in Boston studied the most dangerous intersections in the entire country. They looked at the percentage of people killed in collisions at intersections and where deaths were the most likely to happen between 2017 and 2021.
Pasco County is 9th in the ranking right behind Miami-Dade.
“That’s not surprising because I got my license in Pasco. I tell you, you can probably be blind and deaf and still get your license," said Johnson.
Among Pasco County’s most dangerous intersections are U.S. 19 and Ridge Road; U.S. 19 and Washington Street; and State Road 54 and Madison Street.
Tim Wellborn has lived in the area for about 20 years and says he still tries to avoid US 19 when he can.
“I try taking Little Road as an alternate. But 19 is just in a lot of senses, very, very, very dangerous," said Wellborn.
It's no surprise that the top reasons for car accidents include running red lights, ignoring stop signs, speeding, and distracted driving.
“I feel like people don’t use crosswalks the way that they should. I don’t feel that drivers pay attention as much as they should," said Wellborn.
The Florida Department of Transportation is spending millions on safety features at trouble spots, including more crosswalks and upgraded lighting.
