Safety improvements where hit-and-run occurred in Lee County

Making a dangerous Lee County bus stop safer during darker hours after two teens got injured after a hit-and-run on Thursday.

At 6 a.m. the sunshine is a bit lackluster, and to make matters worse there are no street lights around the pick-up area.

Lee County has a plan to make the area a whole lot safer which is good news for families involved in Thursday’s hit-and-run.

Luis Moreno knew this was always an unfortunate possibility.

“This road is very dangerous,” Moreno said. “Okay, a lot of accidents happen on Orange River…” But like many people, he didn’t think it would happen to his 17-year-old daughter.

“She was driving down the road going to school, and an accident happened,” Moreno said.

Moreno mentioned it was before the sun came and his daughter could barely see.

“Also, you have bright lights coming at your face from the other direction,” Moreno said. “Sometimes you got to swerve out of the way a little bit.”

His daughter crashed into Daniel and Nancy Bernardo, two 16-year-old kids. And for America Bernado, sister to Daniel and cousin to Nancy, the crash was deja vu.

“So years ago, when my daughter was the high school, when she starts attending to the high school, I request lights up,” America said. “Nothing happened. So thankfully, my daughter never had any kind of accident. But then they get hit this time. So for now, I was talking with somebody in transportation and I’m asking and requesting it.”

The request didn’t fall on deaf ears, a spokesperson with Lee County confirmed that a multi-use path is being designed as the crash took place.

It will go from Lorraine Drive west on Orange River Boulevard to Palm Beach Boulevard, costing $4,500,000.

America said you can not put a price on the safety of her loved ones.

Construction on the multi-use path is expected to begin next summer, it’s expected to take that long because a watermain is being installed at the same time as that project.