WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. — There are new calls for change along a dangerous stretch of road in Brevard County, after a dump truck crash sent the driver behind the wheel to the hospital.
- Dump truck flipped on West New Haven Ave. Tuesday morning
- Space Coast TPO says the road is crash prone
- Spokesperson says SCTPO implementing "Vision Zero"
According to police, the truck driver told officers someone cut in front of him, and he swerved to get out of the way.
Herb Nelson, who just moved to Florida, was on his way to work when screeching tires caught his attention. Nelson helped him out of the truck, and there was a nurse nearby who rendered aid.
“He was looking confused, like ‘Hey, help me!’ And I'm like … stop moving, can you unbuckle your seatbelt? I checked to make sure he had all his limbs and all that, because everything inside was kind of mangled,” Nelson told Spectrum News 13.
According to police, the driver suffered head and neck injuries but is expected to be okay.
Over the past three years, the intersection of West New Haven Avenue and Laila Court in West Melbourne has had five crashes and two hit-and-runs.
According to most recent data from Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization, on New Haven Avenue between Wickham Road and Babcock Street, there have been about 184 crashes annually and on any given weekday, about 39,000 vehicles travel on that road.
Transportation expert from Space Coast TPO Laura Carter explained the road is crash-prone, with on average three crashes a week.
“(The) New Haven corridor is ranked for the past couple years as the number one high-crash corridor,” Carter explained.
Space Coast TPO is hoping to change that with the “Vision Zero Action Plan,” which aims for zero fatalities and zero serious injuries.
“Vision Zero” is currently in the data collection and analysis phase. The next phase will be developing an action plan. Then the outreach and education starts. The process could take a couple of years.