FHP, AT&T want you to wait
PHOTO BY CJ NEWTON
The portion of U.S. Highway 27 between Sand Mine Road and the northern Polk County line has been named Heather Hurd Memorial Highway to honor a Maryland native killed when her car was struck by a truck driven by a man who was texting on his cell phone at the time. This photo is looking north up U.S. 27 from Sand Mine Road.
It’s been more than four years since a horrific traffic accident on U.S. Highway 27 in Davenport claimed the life of a young Davenport bride-to-be, but the anti-texting while driving campaign her death helped launch continues with support from one of the nation’s largest cell phone service providers and the Florida Highway Patrol.
“This is a real problem” FHP Troop C spokesman Sgt. Steve Gaskins said. “And it doesn’t seem to be getting better, even though kids know better.” In 2011, according to Gaskins, more than 450 crashes across Florida were attributed to texting while driving by drivers between the ages of 15 and 30.
