MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- An intersection in Ocala that residents say is dangerous is finally getting a traffic signal.

  • Ocala intersection gets traffic light
  • Several deadly crashes occured at intersection
  • Antonio Lopez loses daughter to crash at intersection

"There is no way to describe the loss of a child. You don’t expect to bury children," said Antonio Lopez.

Antonio Lopez lost his 15-year-old daughter last year on Dec. 15 in a car accident.

She was with her friend, 17-year-old Alyssa Comstock, who also passed away.

"This was just before Christmas, which was one of Amanda's favorite holidays so Christmas was very difficult, but we continue to celebrate Christmas on her behalf, and we're going to continue to do so," said Lopez.

Lopez says the girls were on their way back to Vanguard High School for a choir performance when a semi-truck hit the car they were in.

The Lopez's live just blocks away from where it happened at the intersection of NE 30th Ave and NE 14th Street in Ocala.

"It’s a corner that you travel across very carefully," he said.

Ocala Police say there's been 12 crashes at that intersection in the past 5 years -- 7 of those happened within the last year.

Lopez started a petition for a traffic signal there, and it has more than 5,800 signatures.

Lopez even went to Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn.  

"As a father I couldn't imagine what Mr. Lopez is going through and still is going through and will for the rest of his life that he lost his daughter," said Guinn.

Mayor Guinn says they worked with the Florida Department of Transportation, and a traffic light is coming.

"We decided we're going to do something about this, we’re not going to let anyone die ever again in that corner," said Lopez. ​

Mayor Guinn says the light is expected to be built and completed by March.

He says FDOT and the city will split the cost.