Crews in Volusia County broke ground Monday on a roundabout at the intersection where a grandmother and three girls died last April.

  • Grand Avenue and State Road 44 in DeLand area
  • Crews broke ground on roundabout at intersection
  • Grandmother and 4 girls killed in crash back in April

Sandy Lopes and three children died when the Jeep they were in was struck by an SUV at the intersection of Grand Avenue and State Road 44.

The impact was so severe that the Jeep burst into flames.

The Florida Department of Transportation agreed to build the roundabout after heavy lobbying from the Volusia County Council and the county’s sheriff.

Transportation officials say the roundabout will bring down the number of crashes at the intersection – at least 42 since 2011.

Albert Shoemaker, grandfather to two of the victims, says the number of crashes will fall because temporary traffic lights are not doing enough to slow traffic at the intersection.

Some drivers fear the roundabout might make matters worse.

"It doesn't make sense in an area where people are coming 60 miles an hour down the road to stop like this," said DeLand resident Alex Copper.

Jeff Elliott spent time in England and said he has seen his fair share of roundabouts.

"With roundabouts, they're tricky,” Elliott said. “You know, people are going to be driving and all of a sudden, here comes a roundabout and they're slamming on the brakes."

There are no other roundabouts on State Road 44, from the intersection near the Volusia and Lake County line, all the way to New Smyrna Beach.