Auto vs Golf Cart in Tamarind Grove
 

Briefly witnessed in passing yesterday afternoon:
What appeared to be the aftermath of another serious auto vs golf cart accident at the intersection of St Charles and Tamarind Grove Run. Severely damaged golf cart clearly visible in diamond lane along with lesser damaged auto. Multiple emergency vehicles on scene with flashing lights, including Police cars, fire trucks, paramedic vans, and Community Watch. Traffic on St Charles closed down to one lane.
This was around 4:30 PM yesterday afternoon (Friday).
Anyone out there know any details?

So sad. We heard the sirens and helicopter.

St Chares and Tamarind Grove needs a stop sign or light, too much traffic, very dangerous trying to exit.

The folks will be in our prayers and thoughts.

Yes, that is a bad intersection. I hope the people involved will be OK. Does anyone know how to go about requesting a stop sign or traffic light?

Very sad indeed. As I watched a stretcher being placed into the medivac chopper I wondered how many accidents is it going to take to have a light put at that intersection? I live in TG and that intersection can be very dangerous! A lot of traffic, speeding trucks, etc. slow down!

My thoughts and prayers to all those injured...

Maybe
 

Maybe a petition signed by residents and then bring it to a Sumter County meeting at Colony rec center or show up there in mass at a town meeting. There is a time period when residents are allowed to speak. Something needs to be done as there have been WAY to many accidents in that area already.

Just hope those envolved are OK. I know by the radio report the helicopter was called for the GC victim.

Something definitely needs to be done at that intersection. This is the same intersection where a man was killed last year on his golf cart when a worker ran the stop sign.

Another person hurt due to an accident on the streets.
 

The car ran the stop sign according to this morning's paper.

Unfortunately, a traffic study conducted after the fatal accident last summer determined that a traffic light was not needed. County said that stretch of road did not meet the criteria used for that determination.

Traffic Light?
 

Nor will it ever. If so, we would have stop lights everywhere. The sad part is human error cannot be corrected other than by those whom error. Hope all involved are ok.

Well, that particular intersection has had numerous serious accidents (including the aforementioned fatal accident last May) in just one year. I was by there shortly after the accident yesterday, too. Someone said that, yet again, a car blew through a stop sign. I don't know what it is about that intersection, but for some reason, people don't recognize and stop at the stop signs. Something needs to be done to make that intersection less dangerous.

Sorry to hear about another accident. Hope the folks are OK.

Maybe they could put a speed bump or rumble strips on TG as you approach the stop sign at St Charles.

When the construction activity lessens, things should get a little better with fewer big trucks.

I often pass that intersection in my golf cart going to and from Sterling Heights. It is a scary intersection, and even more dangerous than the St. Charles and Pennecamp intersection where there was another serious accident a few weeks ago. If a red light signal is not authorized, perhaps another solution could be suggested like a traffic signal that blinks yellow on St. Charles and blinks red on Tamarind Grove.

Dangerous intersections, they won't worry about. BUT a blanket 15 MPH and 20 MPH speed limit they pass without a blink of an eyelash! A much bigger revenue raiser for the local cops and county!! Its politics, follow the money stream and you will get your answer as to how fast changes will be made..
Case in point: Delmar & Rio Grande intersection. They seem to have a car accident there every three months or so, but for over 16 years they have been "studying " the need for a 4 way stop. Maybe this July it may come to pass.:blahblahblah::blahblahblah::blahblahblah:
A nice safety issue, but not much income unless a cop sits there all day watching for rolling stops, or whatever. Also the forced stop on Rio Grande will slow speeds down and ruin a good speed trap area.

Driving in TV
 

I think this is a different situation, Gracie. Yes, I was responsible for getting a traffic signal at one of the busiest roads in Western New York....Niagara Falls Blvd . I was risking my life trying to make a left hand turn from my area. I went thru politicians who told me no traffic signal was needed....and finally ended up dealing with the NYS D.O.T.....who told me "no". I insisted they do a traffic study and after a lot of communication, they finally agreed to do the study (probably to get me off their back!). Bottom line...traffic study done and shortly thereafter, The Swimdawg traffic signal was installed. :)

But....TV traffic situation is a totally different ballgame. From my personal experience, I see vehicles zipping down St. Charles and the drivers are not paying attention. The golf cart people are as guilty as the car drivers. I think we all need to be more careful....and more attentive. Defensive driving is so important....and I think the older we get, the slower our reflexes are and our vision isn't quite as sharp.

Be careful, folks! Drive defensively....and there will be fewer accidents. I do err on the side of caution when driving. I'm not in a hurry for my own funeral!

Flashing Light
 

If just a flashing red light or flashing light on the stop sign. If it would save one person then it would be worth it.:ho:

A stop sign on each corner?

A lot of the cart drivers are Idiots. They stop in the middle of the cart lane to put down their sides when it starts to rain instead of pulling out of the traffic lane, I see them stopping on curves on the multi trails, stopping in tunnels, and lots of stupid stuff. You know you can not cure stupid it is a permanent way of thinking. You should drive your cart like you drive you car, Oh, I think some of them do.

According to the Daily Sun this morning the car that hit the golf cart ran the stop sign.

I see people going through red lights way too often.

The issue is that people are breaking traffic rules and the outcome is deadly. I say...get the cops out here and ticket speeders and rule breakers.

Jim9922, Thanks for the heads up about DelMar & Rio Grande intersection -- I'm renting near there next month, and want to be vigilent.

More opportunities to run a stop sign.

I live on TG and come down TG Run 3-4 times a day. The stop sign is visible and before I make a left onto St. Charles I make sure I can turn safely without "stepping on the gas". I always make sure the car coming up Southern Star is stopped at the stop sign also. I see a lot of golf cart drivers taking big risks. Four way stop signs would certainly slow down traffic.

I am also cautious when I pass the intersection. Especially after I ran the stop sign once. But many people pass this intersection for the first time and/or don't know of its tragic history. If one isn't aware of the danger, they can get careless.

Fatality last year
 

Our friend and neighbor was killed at that exact intersection by a vehical running the stop sign. Because of that, I cross that piece of road in my trusty golf cart with great caution and a prayer. Good job I do, because on two occasions a vehical did not see my silver cart and ploughed on through. The second time was witnessed by our friends travelling behind my cart. Would you believe it was a neighborhood watch truck, and my friend called it in immediately on his cell phone. He received no acknowledgement at all. Thus I continue to slow down, stop, look both ways, and only then, cross. As the concensus seems to be "no" to a light, I suggest a speed bump.

You can put Stop Signs and/or Traffic Lights at every street corner, and all it will do is bottle neck traffic and get everyone stressed out and hot under the collar. They still will be speeding and driving like maniacs!!

You cannot fix stupid!!!

Here's a hint to lessen traffic crashes -- S L O W D O W N!! Hang up the cell phone, drive defensively, and pay attention to your surroundings.

I agree Tom. Would love to see at least Stop signs on all four corners.

Check it out!
 

Dig out your map of The Villages (we all have one), and take a look at it. You'll find that those busy intersections in the southwest corner of the villages that have been the scenes of so many serious auto vs golf cart accidents of late, were actually engineered to be congested.
If you live in Tamarind Grove, for instance, and want to go anywhere else in or out of The Villages, you have to go thru the intersection of Tamarind Grove Run/Southern Star/St Charles. There are no other options. So of course it's busy and vehicles turning onto St Charles have a hard time.
Buttonwood and Buttonwood Run, and Pennecamp and Pennecamp Dr are similar situations. But not quite so bad since these are 3 way intersections instead of the 4 way intersection at Tamarind Grove.
I agree you cannot prevent stupidity, but the victims who get killed in these accidents may not be the stupid ones. So let's not stick our collective heads in the sand and just say "it is what it is". Let's try to find a solution!