LAKE WALES, Fla. — Watson Jones bikes to his job at the Florida’s Natural plant in Lake Wales. He intentionally sticks to the sidewalk, because when he first started working there, the commute was dangerously dark.
“You couldn’t even see your hand, really, maybe a foot or two in front of you. It was really dark out here,” Jones said.
Nowadays, along the commute, he passes a heartbreaking memorial. On the side of Dr. J.A. Wiltshire Ave., behind the plant, is a collection of flowers, toys, and other mementos which marks where 13-year-old Jadin Galindo was hit and killed back in February while he was waiting at what family described as a dark bus-stop.
“If they would have had more lighting here, he probably would still be here,” said Jones.
Since then, however, newer, brighter lights have been installed at the bus stop, along Jones’ commute, and elsewhere in Lake Wales.
City Commissioner Keith Thompson said upgrading and adding street lamps was on the city’s to-do list even before the tragedy, but after the teenager was killed, expediting the better lighting became a priority.
“I mean, these tragedies are horrible for any city, but we want to try to salvage as much as we can from a safety and security standpoint for our citizens,” he said. “We started a process to update city lighting across our footprint.”
According to a city news release, the Lake Wales Police Department audited street lights and bus stops within city limits after the tragedy. Months ago, through a partnership with Duke Energy, lights were fixed or added at 17 bus stops.
More recently, the city updated 26 other lights with LED technology and added four new ones in the Northwest Neighborhood, which is located near Florida’s Natural plant.
The City invested nearly $5,000 for new lights and light poles. According to Thompson, that’s just the start.
“Now, we are still working with Duke Energy to update all of our lighting,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process, and it will continue to remain a priority for us here at the city.”
Jones hopes that will be the case.
“They need to light it up,” he said. “They need to.”
Even though his commute is brighter now, he thinks there will always be room for improvement.
When reached by phone Monday, Joel Galindo, the father of Jadin Galindo, said the lighting upgrade is a good start, but said it’s “a damn shame” the additional lighting was not added until after a tragedy.
Priscilla Ortega, the teen’s mom, also had mixed feelings.
“It doesn’t bring my son back, but I mean, I guess it’s good,” she said.
She hopes the lighting upgrades will help prevent future tragedies.
