The Brief
- Resident Christine Vickers has documented 20 years of accidents at the corner of 17th Street and MLK, with some cars even ending up on her front porch.
- Following a FOX 13 report, newly elected City Councilwoman Naya Young and FDOT are now investigating safety modifications for the intersection.
- Beyond property damage, officials and residents are concerned for the safety of students at the school located directly across from the crash-prone corner.
TAMPA, Fla. – For Christine Vickers, the sounds of East Tampa aren’t just the typical hum of city life; they are the screeching tires and shattering glass of a twenty-year nightmare.
Living at the corner of 17th Street and MLK since 1979, Vickers has spent the last two decades watching her front yard become a frequent landing zone for out-of-control vehicles.
In her front yard there are heavy metal poles, a “front line of defense” she installed to keep cars from barreling into the home she has lived in for most of her life.
“I’ve been staying there since ‘79,” Vickers said. “Sometimes (there are) two or three times a month. Somebody’s gonna get hurt.”…