Driver hits father and two kids in Siesta Key crosswalk, FHP says

SIESTA KEY, Fla. - A driver hit a 47-year-old father, who was carrying his 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in a Siesta Key crosswalk on Old Stickney Point and Midnight Pass Roads, injuring them badly, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

"At this point in time, the injuries are non-life-threatening, several fractures, the family is back together and obviously recovering," said Kenn Watson, an FHP trooper.

Troopers responded to the scene shortly after it happened at 9 p.m. Thursday and said the three victims were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. The children were then taken to All Children’s Hospital when the weather cleared up.

"This father was doing everything properly, he was holding his children, making sure they would not dart out into traffic, holding them, walking them across the roadway within a fully marked crosswalk," Watson said. "Unfortunately, the driver did not see them."

People who live in the area told FOX 13 it was only a matter of time before an incident like this would happen.

READ: 'These are real people': Traffic deaths hit 20-year high in first quarter of 2022

"There are plenty of near misses here," said Jim McClure, who live on Siesta Key. "There are no lights, it’s dark."

Many visitors saw the commotion at nearby businesses. They said the intersection can be dangerous for pedestrians at night.

"It’s not very surprising honestly, it’s not well lit here, there’s a lot of overflow coming from the bars that are along this road, so unfortunately it’s not that surprising," said Chloe Palmer, who is visiting Siesta Key from Ohio.

For northbound drivers, like the man who hit the father and his kids in the crosswalk, the road curves right before the intersection and the crosswalks.

"If you look at a map, you are, it’s not dead straight, you’re turning, and it’s quasi-blind until you get up here and it is so dark, you can’t see people," McClure said.

Neighbors said more lighting is needed on Old Stickney Point and Midnight Pass Roads to make it safer for cars and pedestrians.

The driver is at fault and civil charges are pending. FHP said there will not be any criminal charges made against the driver.