Fatal wreck on 98 last night.

[ckhagen]

Has anyone heard about it yet?

It happened right in front of our church :(
We're 90% positive that the one woman was dead. She was actually turning out of our church when she was hit. But, we can't seem to figure out if it was someone who was attending or not. It was a silver Buick I think (not much left of the car) and she had two dogs in the car with her.
The woman in the other car was taken by helicopter. It was a mess, a terrible wreck. From what we can tell she pulled out right in front of someone who never even had time to think about stopping. Then, was hit by pickup truck head on. It took like 30 plus minutes to extricate her from the car I think. The guy in the pickup seemed ok though.
We're assuming she was just using the church parking lot to turn around or something, although that doesn't make much sense.

[ItzKatzTime]

:twisted: Bloody 98! I hate to pick up a paper any more...that, and Hwy. 331. My beautiful younger sister was hit head on by a crack addict with no license, just got out of jail, and passing a huge dump truck doing 80mph!!!

I've seen many people use the church as a turn around. So sad....makes me cry!:(



WHY???????? CAN"T PEOPLE BE MORE CAREFUL?????????:idontno: IS IT THAT DIFFICULT?????

After 20 years I thought we would have this fixed by now....but nooooo it's only :bang: moving the fast lane to 30-A now!!!!!:bang:

Sorry but this gets to me~~~bringing out all my emotions......:eek::bicycle: :boxing: :shock: :pissed: :blink: :blush: :( :confused: :nono1: :pissed: :!: :banned: :pissed: chill people :chill: chill!

[organicmama]

My thoughts and prayers are with whomever was in the wreck. Just even reading about it rips my heart apart.

I cannot stand driving on 98 and will happy SLOWLY drive down 30-A compared to that.... it's one of the reasons we got the heck outta ATL! I've been passed numerous times on 30-A while going the speed limit.

[Camp Creek Kid]

ItzKatzTime, I'm so sorry about your sister.

I don't think there is a problem with Hwy 98 or Hwy 30-A (or 331) for that matter. There are traffic accidents everywhere, all of the time. I was in Salt Lake City for Christmas and I was amazed at how many traffic accidents there were--daily fatalities in accidents unrelated to weather or bad road design. Drivers everywhere need to SLOW DOWN and GET OFF THEIR CELL PHONES. They need to be particularly careful when they are driving unfamiliar roads (like our out of town guests). We need to be aware that there are people driving our roads who are from out of town and they can and do make sudden stops, abrupt lane changes, etc. when they are trying to find their way around. It is the drivers causing the accidents, not the roads.

[steeleing1]

ItzKatzTime, I'm so sorry about your sister.

I don't think there is a problem with Hwy 98 or Hwy 30-A (or 331) for that matter. There are traffic accidents everywhere, all of the time. I was in Salt Lake City for Christmas and I was amazed at how many traffic accidents there were--daily fatalities in accidents unrelated to weather or bad road design. Drivers everywhere need to SLOW DOWN and GET OFF THEIR CELL PHONES. They need to be particularly careful when they are driving unfamiliar roads (like our out of town guests). We need to be aware that there are people driving our roads who are from out of town and they can and do make sudden stops, abrupt lane changes, etc. when they are trying to find their way around. It is the drivers causing the accidents, not the roads.

I haven't perceived any of the above posts to mean that the highways are flawed - only the people driving on the highways. I drive on 331 almost everyday from DFS to SoWal, and I ALWAYS witness irresponsible driving choices that put my life in danger - passing on the bridge is what really pi$$e s me off. I just don't understand why some people think what they're doing and where they're going is worth risking life.

[organicmama]

I haven't perceived any of the above posts to mean that the highways are flawed - only the people driving on the highways. I drive on 331 almost everyday from DFS to SoWal, and I ALWAYS witness irresponsible driving choices that put my life in danger - passing on the bridge is what really pi$$e s me off. I just don't understand why some people think what they're doing and where they're going is worth risking life.

Maybe when they have taken their own lives is the only time they will actually look back and say, "D***, I should have respected my life and others lives more than I did." An activity, business appt, etc. is not worth a person dying. Sorry to sound harsh, but it really makes me angry when people don't respect their lives & the lives of others.

[goodwitch58]

Where on 98 did the crash occur?

[beachmouse]

Is this the one?

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/5544186.html

"A Panama City woman was killed late Friday night in a three-car crash on Highway 98 at Inlet Beach just over the Bay and Walton County line.

Killed was Ruth Lakey, 75 years old was killed when a car driven by 26 year old Baheejah Jackson of Tallahassee collided nearly head on with her. Then, a third car driven by 69 year old Russell C. Mann of Gulf Breeze hit the back of Lakey’s car"

[InletBchDweller]

Is this the one?

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/5544186.html

"A Panama City woman was killed late Friday night in a three-car crash on Highway 98 at Inlet Beach just over the Bay and Walton County line.

Killed was Ruth Lakey, 75 years old was killed when a car driven by 26 year old Baheejah Jackson of Tallahassee collided nearly head on with her. Then, a third car driven by 69 year old Russell C. Mann of Gulf Breeze hit the back of Lakey’s car"

This is SUCH a bad turn. the speed limit is 45 over phillips inlet and through inlet. People speed soooooooo bad through this area. I think b/c it is on the county line we dont get good police coverage. State troopers are there every once in a while......:clap_1: God bless the families of the departed....

[ckhagen]

That's the wreck but it's totally not where it happened. It happened in front of Christian International. She was not coming out of the main church entrance, but rather the old church entrance/exit from Prophets Pkwy. You cannot cross the hwy there... only go east. To cross the hwy, you have to go out of the main entrance. The helicopter landed in the church parking lot.

It really had to be the deceased lady who caused it because, there was no way those people would have hit her the way they did unless she literally pulled out right in front of the first car.

My friend who lives on that street, though, said it can be really hard to see out there at night because of the slight curve in the road. She goes across the parking lot and out the main entrance to avoid that.

[InletBchDweller]

[
That's the wreck but it's totally not where it happened. It happened in front of Christian International. She was not coming out of the main church entrance, but rather the old church entrance/exit from Prophets Pkwy. You cannot cross the hwy there... only go east. To cross the hwy, you have to go out of the main entrance. The helicopter landed in the church parking lot.

It really had to be the deceased lady who caused it because, there was no way those people would have hit her the way they did unless she literally pulled out right in front of the first car.

My friend who lives on that street, though, said it can be really hard to see out there at night because of the slight curve in the road. She goes across the parking lot and out the main entrance to avoid that.

:( :(

[drunkkenartist]

From what I heard on the news tonight the older woman pulled out of the church parking lot turning left and head on into incoming traffic. Yes it was her fault. But the lighting around there is lacking.

Its sad that the powers that be that make all the lighting decisions work dayshift.:(

[30A Skunkape]

How does everyone feel about mandatory driving exams for senior citizens?:idontno:

[Smiling JOe]

How does everyone feel about mandatory driving exams for senior citizens?:idontno:I think everyone needs more than one exam when they turn 16. I am all for annual driving exams, and I think people should have to take them while eating a sandwich, listening to the radio and yapping on the cell phone. I guarantee you that we would have fewer people driving.

[30A Skunkape]

I think everyone needs more than one exam when they turn 16. I am all for annual driving exams, and I think people should have to take them while eating a sandwich, listening to the radio and yapping on the cell phone. I guarantee you that we would have fewer people driving.

I agree 100% SJ, Americans think driving is protected under the 'pursuit of happiness' clause. But seriously, is it just me or is there an uptick in tragic incidents involving senior drivers? I have no clue what the stats are...but with that said, I know that we are about to be sharing the roads with unprecedented numbers of geriatric motorists. Just a thought.

[goodwitch58]

I think the stats show more crashes among the younger set; regardless, I think both young and old drivers need to be tested more thoroughly; we should adopt a law that says only hands free cell phones in a moving car; and defensive driving classes should be required for everyone. my 2 cents...it wouldn't hurt to have more effective lighting on Highway 98 and better turn lanes.

[spongegirl]

I think everyone needs more than one exam when they turn 16. I am all for annual driving exams, and I think people should have to take them while eating a sandwich, listening to the radio and yapping on the cell phone. I guarantee you that we would have fewer people driving.

find myself agreeing with Smiling JOe more often than not, and i could not agree more on this one !
cell phone usage & driving simply DON'T mix - didn't they pass a law recently regarding said issue ?
as much as we all have become accustomed to using these devices absolutely anywhere/everywhere
[i'm guilty too], driving an automobile should really be treated as a privilege, as it's hard enough to navigate ourselves through the myriad of distractions we're already faced with -- perhaps Walton Co should have an officer who ONLY pulls folks over who are guilty of talking while driving :roll:

cheers, make it a great day !

[ckhagen]

I'm inclined to think that the two dogs may have been inrestrained and possibly distracting :( I forgot to ask a friend who witnessed it what exactly happened to the dogs, he just said she had two dogs in the car.

[florida girl]

That's the wreck but it's totally not where it happened. It happened in front of Christian International. She was not coming out of the main church entrance, but rather the old church entrance/exit from Prophets Pkwy. You cannot cross the hwy there... only go east. To cross the hwy, you have to go out of the main entrance. The helicopter landed in the church parking lot.

It really had to be the deceased lady who caused it because, there was no way those people would have hit her the way they did unless she literally pulled out right in front of the first car.

My friend who lives on that street, though, said it can be really hard to see out there at night because of the slight curve in the road. She goes across the parking lot and out the main entrance to avoid that.


I think the problem is that 98 from East 30A to 393 looks like an interstate. With all the tree farm land, there is nothing else to attract attention that it isn't an interstate. I guess most of it belongs to St. Joe, or the state.

[rapunzel]

I think the problem is that 98 from East 30A to 393 looks like an interstate. With all the tree farm land, there is nothing else to attract attention that it isn't an interstate. I guess most of it belongs to St. Joe, or the state.

This is a really great observation. When I went to the meeting regarding the study to build a road from 393 to Point Washington, the engineering firm presented this same design, calling it a parkway style road. I think it is a terrible design in that it does so closely resemble an interstate leading people to feel 75 mph is the appropriate speed for the area. I personally hate when I get in the left lane a quarter of a mile or so before I am going to take a left turn only to have some jerk fly up behind me in a big truck and flash his lights to menacingly shoo me back into the slow lane. When I insist on going to my doctor's office and thereby delaying his arrival at some undoubtedly cosmically important event in Destin by 10 seconds, they either gesture wildly or pass me like a maniac in the right lane. I wish just once someone would get pulled over for behaving like that...