Polk County, Florida - Fatal Truck Accident Spurs Family to Seek Action
DAVENPORT - The mother and father of a young woman who was killed in a truck accident on U.S. 27 earlier this year were among the more than 30 Polk County residents, law enforcement officials, state highway planners and county leaders who met to form a task force that will focus on making US 27 safer.
"I would gladly give everything I have not to be here," Russell Hurd told the group Tuesday night at Polk Outpost 27, a visitors' center just south of Interstate 4 on US 27, the road some locals refer to as "Bloody 27."
26 year old Heather Hurd lost her life when an inattentive (or sleeping) tractor-trailer driver rear ended several cars and another truck that were stopped at a red light at U.S. 27 and Sand Mine Road.
Two people were killed and several others were injured in the accident.
"I don't want any family to feel what my wife and I feel," Hurd said. "I want them to fix what's wrong with those 15 miles of the highway."
Hurd was referring to the heavily traveled section of US 27 between Haines City and the Polk/Lake county line to the north.
The meeting was hosted by the Polk Transportation Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation and was intended to be the organizational meeting for a task force of residents and officials created to identify immediate or short-term solutions to the highway's problems.
While long-range plans are already on the table, they are not expected to be in place for several years.
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