Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road, #17 and #18

Man....after a brief pedestrian death hiatus, the Lord's calling folks home in two's!  For the police on the scene to go with "they appeared to have beem drinking before the crash" without the benefit of any blood tests or breathalyzer readings, I'd say they found must have found some beer cans in the vicinity.

Yet another preventable tragedy- this one falling under the less-than-watchful eyes of Leesburg Police Chief William "Bill" Chrisman and Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders.  Enforcement of our traffic laws is a great deterrent- and can save lives in a number of cases.

Word to the wise:  if you're liquored up by 8 on a Thursday night, be sure to cross the street in a crosswalk.

May God give comfort to all three families involved here- the Wood and Wiggins families in their loss, and Mr. Strawder's in helping him cope with the accident.

Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road, #17 and #18

Couple struck, killed while crossing Highway 441 in Leesburg

LEESBURG — Two people were struck by a vehicle and killed Thursday night while trying to cross U.S. Highway 441 in Leesburg, police said Friday.

The pedestrians, 49-year-old Daphne Wiggins and 57-year-old Toney Wood, both of Leesburg, appeared to have been drinking before the crash, Leesburg police said.

The couple was crossing the highway, also called East North Boulevard, near Mills Street and was not in a crosswalk when the crash occurred at 8:27 p.m.

The driver, John Strawder, a 67-year-old Belleview man, was driving a 2002 Lexus sedan northbound on the highway when he struck the pedestrians, police said.  Strawder told police that he didn't see them until it was too late.

Both Wiggins and Wood died at the scene.

Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road, #17 and #18