PALM BEACH CO., Fla. (WPTV) — A Jupiter mother is calling for an official safety review of two busy Military Trail intersections after her husband helped pull teenagers from a wrecked car, an incident she says highlights a daily danger for thousands of drivers.
The intersections in question — Military Trail at Fredrick Smalls Road and at University Boulevard — present a serious risk for drivers making left turns on a yielding green light due to obstructed sightlines, according to the concerned parent. She is now urging Palm Beach County officials to investigate before another serious crash occurs.
A Crash Sparks a Community Call to Action
Susan Tinsley, whose husband was one of the first on the scene of the recent crash, described the moment that turned her general concern into a specific mission.
"My husband was driving down Military southbound, and he heard the crash happen… he stopped to help, and he blocked the intersection, and then he called 911," she told WPTV.
Her focus is on the "yield-on-green" signals at the intersections, where drivers turning left must judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic, often with their view blocked by cars in opposing turn lanes.
"The biggest thing that makes us nervous is yielding on green… you have a lot of vision impairment at these intersections," she explained. "So we're asking, is that the safest thing for these intersections?"
A Teen Driver's Perspective
The issue is deeply personal for the family, as they have a teenage daughter who is already driving and another who will be soon.
Her daughter, Sawyer Tinsley, said these specific left turns are among the most stressful situations she faces on the road.
"When you're turning, if they're blocking your vision… it can get dangerous because you don't know if there's people coming, but then there's people behind you so you feel rushed," Sawyer said. "It just creates a dangerous situation that we shouldn't be put into."
Their concerns have been echoed across social media, where a post about the intersection prompted dozens of Jupiter residents to share their own near-misses and complaints, with many citing excessive speeding on Military Trail as a compounding factor.
Putting Officials on Notice
The family is now asking the community to join them in formally requesting a traffic safety evaluation from the officials who manage the roadway.
"The power is in numbers," the mother said. "If I'm just complaining as a sole resident, it might get ignored… what I'm asking is if enough people care about this to please just say something from their personal experience so that the county hears that this is a larger complaint."
Military Trail is owned and operated by Palm Beach County. WPTV has reached out to the county's Traffic Division to ask if these intersections have been flagged for review under its "Safe Streets for All" action plan, which was adopted in May to identify and improve the most dangerous roads in the county. We are awaiting a response.
How to Voice Your Concerns
For residents who wish to contact officials directly about their experiences at these intersections, the family suggests emailing both the Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works Department and the Jupiter Town Council.
- Palm Beach County Engineering & Public Works: ENG-TrafficDivision@pbc.gov
- Jupiter Town Council: TownCouncil@jupiter.fl.us
"No one wants to feel unsafe when they're doing something that they have to do every day," Sawyer Tinsley said. "If we were able to have that be reevaluated and prevent anything like that from happening again, I think it would make a big change."
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