STATE ROAD 82, Fla. — Since 2009, Catherine Benton has called Southwest Florida home, and she remembers when State Road 82 was a two lane road.
"People use this highway as an Autobahn. They're doing 80, 90 miles per hour," Benton described.
Now, it's four lanes in some parts, but she said how people drive here hasn't changed.
"I get palpitations trying to come out on this road, and I need something done for our community," Benton said.
It's a daily reminder how she almost lost her two kids in a car crash when a truck hit them on their way to school more than ten years ago.
Benton said more recently she was injured in a crash on 82 as well.
After she saw an accident on State Road 82 Friday morning, she said she's tired nothing has changed.
"They just need to put the time, the money, the resources to have a red light," Benton said.
FDOT completed a safety study earlier this year and plans to put in right turn only signs at several of 82's intersections in January.
However, Benton believes u-turns won't help, and a stop light is the best solution.
Watch Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
There will be one in a few years but at Sunshine Boulevard and 82 when Lee DOT builds the Alico Extension.
If you remember in April, a recent high school graduate and another woman died in a car crash at that intersection.
Sadly, they weren't the only ones.
Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades receives an email once a month from the Florida Highway Patrol with one of these reports for every deadly crash on 82.
From January 1 to December 6 of this year, Rhoades counted 13 people that died on 82 in a crash.
No deadly crashes have been reported on S.R. 82 this month as of December 6.
FHP provided the below statement to Fox 4.
Lee County traditionally has well over 100 fatal crashes each year, and approximately over 3,400 lives lost last year statewide...FHP has routinely patrolled SR 82 and has made numerous reckless driving, some racing and fleeing arrest along with issuance of speeding citations.
Widna Bonilla said she saw the same accident Benton saw Friday near Blackstone Drive and 82.
Bonilla said, "Hay una preocupación bien grande que es muy genuina para toda la persona porque ahí hay un accidente aquí casi toda la semana todos los meses un accidente." (There is a great concern that is very genuine for everyone because there is an accident here almost every week, every month.)
She added that she also wants to see change soon.
"Quiero ver aquí en la ayuda del County a la la autoridad es pertinente se ponga semafora," Bonilla said, she wants to see help from the county here. Their authority is pertinent to put in a traffic light.
Rhoades reached out to FDOT for the answer, but they didn't provide a solution for the drivers' concerns.
In previous reports, FDOT said slowing down and more speed enforcement will help.
A few months back, Rhoades did a ride along with the Lee County Sheriff's Office traffic unit on 82.
FHP added,
All motorists need to focus on driving anything behind the wheel and to be sober, distracted free and law abiding anytime traveling on our public roadways and highways.
Benton said nothing has improved if people keep dying.
"It's Russian Roulette. Something has to be done, with a light. I mean people are losing their lives," she said.
Benton plans on organizing a community effort to see change on State Road 82.
