'Could have been so much worse': Alderman Park neighbor concerned after car crashed past his yard

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An accident in Jacksonville's Alderman Park neighborhood has some people calling for change.

A report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shows a driver was cited for failing to stop at the stop sign on Sunnymeade Drive, colliding with another car and causing it to roll over.

“It was pretty brutal,” said Randall Webb, who lives next to the stop sign.

When Webb got home Monday, he found a car had overturned in front of his home on Valleyview Drive.

Before he could figure out how to help, the first thing he had to do was calm his little girl.

“My 7-year-old was kind of scared,” Webb said. “She was a little worried, but I told her, 'He's fine.' He looked okay.'”

Webb says it's not the first time he's had to calm her down after an accident – they've seen several in the year and a half they've been in the house.

He wasn't surprised to learn that the JSO determined the at-fault driver had failed to stop at the stop sign.

“We have a lot of people here who like to get through quickly,” Webb said. “They never stop at stop signs.”

Webb sits on his porch and watches as one car after another passes the stop sign.

“I will record five or six people a day going through these stop signs,” Webb said.

Webb believes rumble strips or turning the intersection into a four-way stop would help, but the stop signs are clearly visible.

“It takes two seconds to stop at a stop sign,” Webb said. “Is there anything more important than holding on for those two seconds?” I mean, a life could have been lost here on Monday. It could have been so much worse.”

First coastal news asked a spokesman for the city of Jacksonville several questions about the intersection. Here is a list of their answers:

1. Can you confirm that there have been four accidents near this intersection in the last year and a half?

There have been 4 accidents in the last 3 years and 2 accidents in the last 1.5 years.

2. Is the issue on the city’s radar?

City of Jax Traffic Engineering has examined this intersection for the past several years and has not identified any geometric conditions that could lead to accidents at Sunnymeade Dr and Valleyview Dr. Sight lines are clear and stop signs are visible.

3. A neighbor mentioned that a sign should be put on the street that reads “Stop Sign Coming Up.” Can you confirm whether this is a plan and whether there has been any movement on this?

We do not have a stop request for this intersection. We will continue to monitor this intersection for any improvements.

4. Another neighbor mentioned that they had previously seen city workers painting the intersection to alert motorists. Can you confirm that?

Road markings such as a stop message can be used to alert motorists to the presence of an intersection when warranted. Typically, this addition may apply to intersections that are not visible at entrances. We are not showing any justification or necessity for road markings here.

5. Is there a plan for rumble strips or flashing lights to slow drivers before they reach the stop sign?

Rumble strips or flashing lights are most often installed in remote or rural communities. To maintain device compliance, flashing lights should only be installed in areas where the implementation will have a high impact. In urban and suburban residential areas, rumble strips increase noise levels and primarily serve to reduce stop sign driving. Running stop signs is not a contributing factor in collisions at Valleyview and Sunnymeade Dr. Accident records show vehicles slowed or stopped before the accident. Failure to yield after stopping was the main cause of collisions. We will continue to monitor this intersection for any improvements.

Webb says he is also exploring options. He is thinking about putting boulders on the edge of the yard to prevent the wrecked cars with children from coming near his house.