STATE ROAD 82, Fla. — Not even a full month into 2025 and three people have died on State Road 82. Now, people say they want state leaders to do something about it.
"Fend for yourself is what S.R. 82 is," and, "Speed limit signs don't really matter," Lehigh resident Samantha Wells described driving on the busy corridor.
In December, Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades reported that the Florida Highway Patrol reports showed someone died in a crash on 82, nearly once a month.
Sadly, that number has gotten higher this year. In the first three weeks, three people have died on 82.
Wells said, "It's mind blowing that these catastrophes happen and nothing has changed."
Watch Lee County Communitty Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
She reached out to Lee County Commissioner Mike Greenwell and FDOT for answers, but said she feels like they didn't take her concerns seriously.
Rhoades ask them in December when drivers could expect to see them, and they said the signs would be ready in a month.
Now a month later, and FDOT said, they're still in the process of buying the signs.
Find more information on FDOT's plans for S.R. 82 here.
Last month, local Catherine Benton said she doesn't think the signs will make a big difference, and she reached out to Representative Byron Donalds and Governor Desantis' office about her concerns.
Benton added she's willing to keep going up the chain of command to demand a solution.
"Nothing has been done. It's just been years and years and years of people dying," Benton said.
The fear of crossing four lanes of traffic is something she lives with everyday, especially when S.R. 82 is the only road out of her neighborhood.
Wells said she's also going to call Desantis' and Donalds' office.
"I don't have the platform to make the necessary changes, but our officials do. They have that authority and funding to make the changes that we need, and I'm hoping that somebody can step up," Wells said.
Fox 4 reached out to both Representative Donalds' and Commissioner Mike Greenwell's office and neither provided a statement.
