Rumble strips installed near a Clay County roundabout for safety

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Officials are making safety improvements to an intersection where at least two children have recently been hit.

Crews are adding safety features to the roundabout near Oakleaf High School and Plantation Oaks Elementary School.

Clay County said rumble strips have been installed at the south and northbound entrances to force drivers to slow down. Sheriff Michele Cook is also working to address this problem. Cook said there will be routine monitoring.

The Sheriff’s Office has also deployed smart speed monitoring devices in the area, which record and document traffic volume and speed.

Oakleaf parents have been outspoken about the dangers this poses for their students. Officials are now taking action and are working together to make sure students are safe when walking and biking to and from school.

Clay county sent News4Jax a statement earlier this month saying several safety enhancements have been made and more are coming, including – reflectorized signs and striping’s to alert drivers they are approaching a crosswalk.

In addition to the rumble strips, county officials say pedestrian beacons will be installed within the next few weeks. These will flash when a pedestrian enters the intersection.

News4Jax spoke to Kimesha Ortega who said her son was heading home from Oakleaf High on his bicycle last week when he was hit. He’s doing ok but was scraped up.

“He sends me this text message, mom I was just hit by a car… and I’m about to have a heart attack,” Ortega said. “His bike was just mangled up. I was just really upset and frantic.”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says data will be collected and will be sent to the superintendent to see if there are any additional needs for the roundabout or transportation for next year.