Dangerous road to get guardrails

Construction of guardrails along a stretch of State Road 80 near Belle Glade will begin in the next two weeks. That's according to Florida State Representative Irv Slosberg.

Installation of the guardrails was scheduled to start in the fall. However, the death of a mother and her two children, as a result of their car plunging into a canal, triggered the accelerated timetable.

In February, Deiula Francois' vehicle swerved out of control, crossing into the eastbound lane of State Road 80.

The vehicle ended up in the canal. Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies say Deiula's 10 year old daughter called 911 from the submerged vehicle. But it was too late. Deiula, Midjina and her 3 year old sister, Glowdia Claudiz, died.

At the funeral, Paul Legrus, a cousin said, "It's very difficult for us. It's a big loss, her and the little ones. They sometimes liked to call me Daddy."

The family's story struck a nerve in the community. They clamored for guardrails.

The Florida Dept. of Transportation decided to speed up the process for installing the guardrails along the route. But there have been delays.

Now, according to  Slosberg, almost 5 months to the day of the crash, guardrails will soon be installed.

At least twelve people have died in crashes on State Road 7 near Belle Glade in the last several years, according to Slosberg.