TICE, Fla — A man called Fox 4, frustrated and worried, saying speeding drivers are putting kids in danger near this bus stop in Tice.
Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski works nearby every day, so he went to check out what the man is seeing and why he’s calling for change.
Watch Austin's report here:
Staley Road has a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit, but James Williams, who’s lived there for three decades, says many drivers treat it like a racetrack.
"Doing 55, 60 miles per hour past the house, blowing their horn, revving their motors up," Williams said.
With two elementary schools nearby, Williams says he fears for the kids walking to their bus stops.
"The neighbor has four kids that have to walk right down this road right here. They come by them like 50-60 miles an hour," he said.
Fed up, Williams installed cameras to record the speeding and says he’s been sending clips like this to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. "He’s doing at least 60. Look at him!" Williams said in one of the clips.
Williams says deputies show up occasionally but feels it’s not enough. He also wants the speed limit lowered back to the 35 mph it once was. So, I took his concerns to LCSO, and they invited me on a ride-along to show how they’ve been patrolling this area.
"We’ve been coming out here, addressing the speed. You can see the front radar is getting traffic coming toward me, and the other one’s coming from behind us. I’ve written a few citations out here, I’ve pulled over many people," said Traffic Unit Deputy Ray Strobel.
Deputy Strobel says his presence alone often slows traffic, but he takes it a step further by running laser checks at the bus stop. "Got 30 miles per hour," Strobel said showing the laser gun.
He says keeping kids safe is one of LCSO’s top priorities, especially around schools. "I’ve been out here so much, the kids here were even sharing their grades with me," Strobel said.
Plus on Sunday, LCSO spokesperson Todd Olmer said deputies patrolling nearby Orange River Road issued a criminal traffic infraction, two citations, and seven warnings. Olmer said reports like Williams’ help them decide where to patrol. He encourages residents to submit concerns through their “Bus Stop Safety Issues” portal online.
I went back to tell Williams what LCSO has been doing, and he said he’s relieved to see his reports making a difference. "Hopefully, we can get something taken care of pretty quickly before some kid loses his life. That’s the whole deal," Williams said.
