One of the changes the Florida Department of Transportation promised at the Delray Beach intersection where a crash killed an Uber driver is not in place nine months later.
Northeast 1st Street at Northeast 6th Avenue jumped into the spotlight after a crash in September 2016. Police said a speeding Lamborghini collided with a Buick, killing the SUV’s driver, J. Gerald Smith.
“I notice there’s a lot of screeching at times, there’s a lot of noise, there is a lot of activity,” Lucas Stein said about the intersection nearly nine months after that crash.
FDOT studied the intersection after the crash. Engineers determined the intersection does not warrant a traffic signal. But the state said it was going to install more street signs by January to warn drivers about the intersection.
“When I do pull out on the road, I have to make sure there are not a lot of cars coming,” Stein highlighted the dangers of going east and west across Northeast 6th Ave, the northbound lanes of US 1 through Delray Beach.
FDOT installed intersection ahead signs and larger stop signs as promised. But the final recommendation, signs that tell east and westbound drivers cross traffic does not stop, is missing.
An FDOT spokesperson said the agency advised the City of Delray Beach in November there was no space to install those signs on the city-owned Northeast 1st Street. Months later, and after questions from NewsChannel 5, the city and FDOT have worked out a way to install those signs on existing poles holding the stop signs in place.
The city will file a work order, but there is no date certain on when the signs will be in place.
Police arrested Roger Wittenberns, who they said was driving the Lamborghini. He’s on house arrest facing charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter.