PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Cates was taking his normal route home in Tradition, traveling through the roundabout at SW Rowley Way and Community Boulevard, when he heard a loud bang. The noise came from a damaged crosswalk sign lying flat on the pavement, causing his front tire to pop along with scrapes and dents on the side of his truck.
"When I came through, I hit it and it popped it up and slapped the side of the truck," Cates said.
After filing a police report, Cates told WPTV he's out more than $2,500 due to costs for a new tire and vehicle repairs after driving through the Tradition roundabout in June.
"My goal is that nobody else goes through what I went through, it's causing serious problems for the community and it is a safety hazard," Cates said.
Deciding to take action, Cates reached out to the Community Development District (CDD) Board in Tradition, but said he has gotten no response.
WPTV reporter Brooke Chau reached out to CDD Manager Frank Sakuma about Cates' concerns. Sakuma was aware of the incident and advised filing an insurance claim.
After reaching out to the City of Port St. Lucie about the roundabout crosswalk sign locations, installation and maintenance responsibility, Scott Samples with the City of Port St. Lucie sent this statement:
"The roundabout and roadway signage at Rowley Way and Community Boulevard is maintained by the CDD. The City requires approval of signs and sign placement on our roadways. We are continuing to look into this situation, but at this time, the City has no record of providing final approval for signage at this roundabout. We are coordinating with the CDD to ensure all requirements by the City and the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices are met for roadway signage."
Sakuma told WPTV that the CDD will not be helping Cates with vehicle repair costs, but will now have additional Monday-Friday inspections of the roundabouts in Tradition and signs that have been hit or broken from their base will be removed from the roadway.
