TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — After two deadly crashes along State Highway 20, Leon County and the Florida Department of Highway Patrol joined forces Thursday to improve highway safety in what they're calling a new "targeted speed enforcement operation."
- Florida Highway Patrol will increase their presence along Highway 20 to increase roadway safety.
- The move follows multiple deadly accidents on the roadway, including a hit-and-run with a pedestrian Saturday.
- Watch the video to hear more about the new partnership.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Florida Highway Patrol will increase their presence on Highway 20 in a new partnership with Leon County.
They're going to increase patrols starting Thursday.
"We will be out here in full force with marked units, unmarked units, canine units, whatever the case may be, and our goal is to get out here and enforce these traffic laws," FHP Captain Jason King said during a news conference.
District 2 Commissioner Christian Caban announced the partnership Thursday.
The move follows a deadly hit-and-run involving a pedestrian Saturday, marking the second death in just three months.
ABC 27 talked to neighbors earlier this week who say the highway stays busy, gets dark at night and is known for speeders.
Caban says he's hoping the partnership will be the first step to decreasing traffic deaths on this stretch to zero.
"We want this to be a safe roadway. That's a multi action process. Infrastructure improvements and law enforcement. Those two things, you want to make it a safe corridor with infrastructure, lights, turning lanes. But also, if you're breaking the law, if you're driving reckless, if you're putting people's lives at risk, we're going to support law enforcement," Caban said.
Since it's a state-maintained road, Caban says they're working to secure funding to start constructing these improvements within five years.
FHP says they are still investigating the hit-and-run that happened Saturday, searching for the driver of that car.
Anyone who has information about the accident can reach out to *FHP.
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