CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Three Cape Coral residents died Monday night in a crash on Burnt Store Road, prompting renewed calls from community members for safety improvements on the dangerous stretch of roadway.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with a man who lost his mother-in-law to the stretch in June:
Cape Coral police say 48-year-old Laura Beasley was driving south when her truck crossed the center line and struck another truck, then hit an SUV. 77-year-old Gary Galiher and 79-year-old Norma Ralston, who were in the SUV, died in the crash. Beasley also did not survive.
"It was a lot to unpack and unfold, especially when we have three fatalities. That's a very big deal to us and something that we take very seriously," said Mercedes Simonds, Cape Coral Police Department public affairs officer.
Beasley's daughter described her as an amazing mother and grandmother, they called her Nana.
Police say they are not sure why Beasley's truck crossed the center line. Speed was not a factor in the crash, according to investigators. The driver of the other truck sustained minor injuries.
The deadly crash has intensified community calls for the Burnt Store Road widening project to move forward. The two-lane stretch has been the site of multiple fatal crashes this year.
"The evidence is there that this needs to be done, and it needs to be done quickly," said Philip Eyrich, whose mother-in-law died in a crash on the same road in June.
"Someone else is going to have to go through this," said Eyrich. "sadly, I don't think this is the last one. They really need to make this a priority."
John Fleming, chairman of the Burnt Store Road Corridor Coalition, says the community has identified potential interim solutions while waiting for the widening project.
"We came up with three possibilities. One would be to lower the speed limit on the two lane road. The other would be to have a stop sign. The other would be a light where we would put it by Vincent Avenue," Fleming said.
Lee County Leaders Push for Burnt Store Road Widening:
Lee County leaders are calling for urgent improvements to Burnt Store Road following Monday's deadly crash that killed three people.
On Tuesday, Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman proposed scheduling a joint meeting with the Cape Coral City Council to work on an interlocal agreement to widen the remaining 5.7 miles of Burnt Store Road.
Current estimates to widen the road sit between $185 million and $190 million, Hamman said during the commissioners meeting.
Hamman said he was approached by Cape Coral city leaders just days before the latest deadly crash occurred on the roadway.
"When you're on a two-lane road at high speeds, unfortunately really good people can get caught up in those accidents," Hamman said. "So, I think a wider Burnt Store Road, especially with a wider median, would at least improve the conditions and make it safer for the growing number of people in that area."
County Manager Dave Harner said he will reach out to Cape Coral city leaders to set up a meeting in the future. Hamman expressed hope that an agreement can be reached to provide a safer road for the area's growing population.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
