UPDATE 5:00 p.m.:
An update to the crash off San Carlos Boulevard Thursday when a car veered off the road and hit two workers, throwing them into the mangroves
While Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigators haven’t released the crash report yet, community correspondent Austin Schargorodski learned more about the workers.
Watch to hear the update on the injured workers:
A Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson says they were not FDOT employees, but contractors working for FDOT doing quality control inspections on the concrete.
The crash happened right in front of a pottery store at the intersection of San Carlos Boulevard and Siesta Drive. The store owner, Allanah Osborne, says unfortunately she sees a lot of crashes here, and has even nicknamed it “Dead Man’s Curve.”
“It is one of the most dangerous intersections in this area,” Osborne said.
Jose Espinoza was working with his crew along this same road Friday. He says even with warning signs, cones, and safety gear they’re never completely safe.
“It can happen to any one of us. You know what I mean. And just be careful,” Espinoza said.
The names of the driver, the workers who were hit, or the company they were inspecting with haven’t been released. However, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says the workers have non-life-threatening injuries, but do have serious injuries.
“I’m glad that those two are doing well. So glad they’re doing good,” Espinoza said.
Fox 4 is still pressing for details on how this crash happened, and will bring you updates as soon as they are available.
UPDATE 9:35 p.m.:
Two construction workers are in stable condition after being struck by a car on San Carlos Boulevard, in what locals call a notoriously dangerous area.
Fox 4's Eric Lovelace spoke to neighbors who call this stretch of road "Dead Man's Curve":
Alanna Osborne, owner of Beach Pottery, witnessed the accident that happened directly in front of her business. According to Osborne, the area has earned a grim nickname due to its history of accidents.
"All the locals here, we call it dead mans curve because so many people have lost their lives," Osborne said.
Osborne said the driver came from the direction of Fort Myers Beach, crossed the median, and crashed into the mangroves.
"They went flying, and the car was on the other side of the poll," Osborne said.
The dangerous stretch of road also includes a bus stop where I spoke with a concerned parent picking up her child.
"Two men were hit and almost killed right here today," said Kacie, who has been trying to get her son's bus stop relocated.
"I've been trying for the last couple weeks to get it moved down the road," Kacie said.
Despite her complaints, Kacie says the district maintains the bus stop is safe, an answer neither she nor Osborne finds acceptable.
"How many people need to get hit or die until changes are made," Kacie said.
UPDATE 4:17 p.m.:
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the two people hit were workers. FDOT says they're trying to determine if they worked directly for FDOT or if they were contractors.
FDOT says the workers are Quality Control Testers and were testing the concrete before the crash.
New video obtained by Fox 4 shows the moment after the car hit the two people.
A spokesperson for FDOT says the two workers are in "stable condition."
It's not clear how the crash happened or if there are any criminal factors involved.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle and thrown into mangroves on San Carlos Boulevard near Fort Myers Beach Thursday afternoon, according to the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department.
The Fire Chief says crews had to cut their way into the mangroves to get to the injured pedestrians at 17980 San Carlos Boulevard.
Both patients were transported to the hospital as trauma alerts.
The car also ended up in the mangroves, but the driver refused treatment or transport from Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, the chief says.
Authorities have not released information about what caused the crash or the current condition of the victims.
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.
