Central Florida already has had more deaths
in 2004 than it had all of last year

With 619 traffic fatalities since Jan. 1, Central Florida may be headed for its deadliest year on the roadways, according to figures released Monday.

Already, more people have been killed through the first 10 months of this year than died in all of 2003 in the seven-county region. The record number of fatalities was 694 set in 2002.

The Florida Highway Patrol reported the statistics as troopers map plans to reduce fatalities for the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays. Last year 86 people died on the roads statewide during the holiday period.

The 619 deaths in traffic accidents through Sunday in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties compared with 615 deaths for all of 2003, according to figures from the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. Through Nov. 7 in 2003, 507 people were killed in those Central Florida counties.

"That means we are on a record pace [in Central Florida] with six weeks to go," said Trooper Kim Miller, FHP spokeswoman in Orlando. "And we know what's ahead. That's what's troubling."

Statewide, 2,633 people have died, up from 2,567 during the same period last year. A record total of 3,179 fatalities was recorded last year.

Central Florida's 22.1 percent increase is more than 10 times the statewide increase of 2.6 percent, according to the report.

"I think Central Florida has more activities going on with all the tourists, the theme parks and the big events in Volusia," Miller said. "You can't say it's the tourists, most of the fatalities are Florida residents, but there are a lot more vehicles on the road along the I-4 corridor."

Seminole County showed the greatest increase in the area at nearly 180 percent.

Sunday's death of 20-year-old Amy Castillo, who was eight months pregnant, was the 53rd traffic death in that county this year, compared with 19 in the same period last year.

Volusia County's deaths went from 69 to 108, an increase of 56.5 percent, while Polk climbed from 91 to 117 this year, a 28.6 percent jump.

Only two counties -- Brevard and Lake -- showed a decline over last year's numbers. Brevard had five fewer deaths, while Lake recorded one fewer fatality.

Miller said investigators haven't identified any trends to the deaths.

"There is not a specific type of accident we can pinpoint as causing an increase," she said. "There have been a lot of single-vehicle accidents which indicates driver error or alcohol."

She also added, "A good portion of these fatalities have been pedestrians. There is a lot of motorcycles. It's a mystery why they are on the rise. It's really baffling."

Greater traffic-law enforcement is the only way to reduce accidents, she said.

"That's what we hope to do with the holidays coming," she said. "We've been pulled in several different directions this year with the election and the hurricanes."

Miller said putting more troopers on the road will help cut down on accidents.

"During the hurricanes, with all the traffic lights out, there was a lot of officers out, and people were driving more cautious," she said.

In Lake County, for example, the FHP and local agencies have joined forces, according to FHP Sgt. Jorge Delahoz.

"We have had an aggressive DUI program throughout the entire year," Delahoz said. "By the end of October, we doubled the number of DUI arrests that we made for all of 2003."

He said the Lake County Sheriff's Office also created a traffic unit in April.

"While the majority of the motoring public believe in traffic enforcement, some actually consider it an annoyance . . . a risky game of cat and mouse," he said. "They try to rationalize that everybody speeds."

But, he added, better enforcement would save lives.

"When you see the unprecedented death and carnage that I see each year, you develop a passion for traffic enforcement," he said. "The best drivers make mistakes. We all need to anticipate what mistake the other driver could do."

Jim Buynak of the Orlando Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
 

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