POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County has the ninth most dangerous metro area in the U.S. for pedestrians, according to Smart Growth of America, Dangerous by Design.
It’s a statistic that has become Tytannia King's reality.
“We’re going through a very hard trying time right now,” she said.
Ten days ago, King’s sister, Janie Barnett, was hit and killed by a pickup truck on U.S. 27 near Frostproof. She had just celebrated her birthday two weeks before.
“My sister had just went and got her a birthday cake and celebrated it with her. I just can’t believe that I'm standing here today, that she’s gone,” King said.
About 127 pedestrians are killed on Polk County streets each year, according to the Polk Transportation Planning Organization.
“These are our families; these are our friends. Even one accident is unacceptable to us,” said Parag Agrawal, Polk Transportation Planning Organization Director.
Polk TPO’s Vision Zero Action Plan is working to make sure not one more pedestrian dies on the streets of Polk County.
“We will be looking at the 10 most dangerous intersections and the 10 most dangerous corridors in the county and to look at how we can make those corridors and intersections much more safe for all road users,” said Agrawal.
The county was awarded $720,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant program. The funds will be used to redesign roads, widen sidewalks and add more crosswalks so another family does not have to lose a loved one on Polk's roadways.
“She leaves behind her two children that she loved dearly and today we’re stuck trying to put the pieces together,” said King.
The King family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses for Barnett.
