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Hernando Today

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Crashes Drop At Deadly Istachatta Curve

By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: July 29, 2008

ISTACHATTA - The tiny community of Istachatta will never be mistaken for a party town, but even by its own standards things have been quiet.
That's a good thing.
There was a time when the country-quiet residents' enjoyment was shattered by the sounds of squealing tires, breaking glass, wailing sirens.
The source of their problem was a sharp curve on Lingle Road that many motorists, including locals, took too fast and wrecked. It became 27-year-old Eric Boyd's problem on June 1 when he crashed his motorcycle and died.
Locals used the tragedy to bring attention to what they believed was a lack of warning signs leading up to the curve. County officials listened.
Soon after, eight flexible plastic poles topped with reflectors were erected along the length of the curve. A second diamond-shaped yellow sign was put up to alert motorists that a hard left-turn was coming up.
Around that same time, Boyd's friends mounted a makeshift memorial on a tree near the place he died. Two photos at the site show a young man with a goatee and dark sunglasses pushed back onto his forehead.
It's been several weeks since the signs have been up and folks have noticed a sharp decline in the number of off-road incidents.
"Thank God for that," said Joyce Bean, who used to hear the frequent crashes from her front yard. "It's been quiet."
The lack of crashes could be because motorcycle traffic has tapered off since the fatal crash. Bikers once flocked to this area to enjoy the rural scenery and experience the winding roads.
Now, Bean hears fewer and fewer chrome pipes rumbling through town. She doubts the current rainy season has anything to do with it.
"I think word of mouth has made people stay away," she said.