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Hernando Today

Killer Curve Needs Signs

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: June 5, 2008

ISTACHATTA - A Clearwater man died Sunday afternoon when his motorcycle ran off the road and tossed him into a ditch.

Tragic? Yes.

Surprising? Not for the citizens of Istachatta.

On Sunday, two other motorcyclists crashed in separate incidents on that same curve on County Road 439, or Lingle Road as it's known on that stretch through town.

Sunday was not an isolated case, either.

Just ask Joyce Bean, who lives a half mile away on a shady plot typical of this picturesque community on the far northern boundary of Hernando County.

The county did a good job resurfacing the road three to four years ago, she said, but they failed to erect proper signage or elevate the curve into a bank. As a result, motorists, even locals, take the sharp bend way too fast and frequently skid off into the drainage ditch, she said.

The loud crashes attract attention, but "we're afraid to go around the corner because we're not sure of what we'll see," Bean said.

On Sunday afternoon, it was teenagers who found the motorcyclist dead in the ditch. The Florida Highway Patrol identified him as 27-year-old Eric T. Boyd of Clearwater.

As word spread that another motorcyclist had taken a spill, Mellissa Stacey wasn't too alarmed at first. She's seen her share of wrecks as co-owner of the Istachatta General Store, which sits at the end of the sharp curve.

Since acquiring the property with her husband, Mark, out-of-control motorists have caused more than $1,000 in damage by smashing a shed, a well pump and a fence. The Staceys responded by dumping a big pile of sand at the point most drivers leave the road, then erecting concrete posts behind that and finally three large wood poles that would look right at home on a wharf.

Boyd never made it that far. He tumbled off his bike into a ditch holding old chunks of concrete, rusty wire and bits of steel. FHP reported that he was not wearing helmet.

By Mellissa Stacey's estimation, about 70 percent of the accidents aren't reported, especially with the motorcycles. A smaller portion require an ambulance and others a medical helicopter flight to Tampa.

The pastoral views and curvy roads attract motorcyclists from around Florida, including Valerie Gillespie. Gillispie, of Dade City, came upon the accident Sunday on her Harley and was back in town on Tuesday to take another look at the curve.

The accident "was an eye-opener," she said.

Motorcyclists pay a lot of attention to signs, but there is little warning of the danger posed by the curve, Gillispie said.

There is one sign on Lingle Road leading into Istachatta that cautions a T-shaped curve is up ahead and prompts motorists to slow down to 25 mph.

However, there's no warning beyond that point, such as the arrow signs or reflectors common on the twisted Lake Lindsey Road nearby.

County Engineer Charles Mixson said Tuesday that his department is already reviewing whether adding more signs at that turn is feasible in the wake of Sunday's accident. But adding a sign in just one place is generally not done, Mixson said.

Mixson priced a warning sign at about $100, but he added that other signs have to be put in place on the rest of the nearby road and that boosts the cost.

"We want to use our limited funds in the best location," he said.

In Istachatta, Bean is not buying the line about the county's empty coffers.

"Somebody should have some sympathy," she said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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