DAYTONA BEACH SHORES — Volusia County is testing ways to improve safety at the Dunlawton Boulevard beach vehicle ramp, days after a truck plowed into the tollbooth there and killed attendant Tammie Jo Baker.
The incident happened around 12:40 p.m. on June 1 in Daytona Beach Shores. Deanna Harrell, 35, drove a truck into the tollbooth and straight into the ocean, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Harrell is charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter and is being held in the county jail on no bond.
Now, county officials are looking at ways to help make beach ramps safer.
What safety improvements could be coming to Dunlawton Beach ramp
The county June 5 had water barriers at the ramp as part of testing. A “water-filled barrier” found online, sold by the Traffic Safety Supply Company, is a “solid 1,110 pounds when ballasted with water.”
The county is looking at how to improve safety without adding to traffic congestion or impeding access for emergency vehicles and condo residents.
“We’re testing out different types of protective barriers to put in at the ramp,” county spokesman Clayton Jackson said. “Yesterday we were looking at some metal meridians.”
The county is also working in coordination with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and the city of Daytona Beach Shores to find the best solution, he said.
“We’re exploring all options,” Jackson said.
Once safety improvements are made at the Dunlawton Boulevard ramp, the county plans to explore possible safety improvements at other vehicle ramps, Jackson said.
Jackson noted that conditions vary at different beach vehicle ramps.
“It won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution,” he said.
As of June 5, the county had no estimate on when the Dunlawton Boulevard vehicle ramp would reopen.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia looks to up beach safety after Shores tollbooth death
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner and Nadia Zomorodian, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sheldon Gardner and Nadia Zomorodian, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
