Panama City Beach Intersection Draws Concern

A Panama City Beach Fire Department captain contacted News 13 to let us know why he thinks changes should be made at Highway 98 also known as Back Beach Road and Clara Avenue.
Details in this News 13 Problem Solver report.

Captain Joe Cocco of the Panama City Beach Fire Department knows all too well about the danger of Back Beach and Clara.  During his twenty years with the department, he says he has responded to many accidents in this area...some of them fatal.  Captain Cocco expressed his concern over safety to the Florida Department of Transportation following a fatal accident at Back Beach and Clara last January. And, Captain Cocco says he lost a friend in a July fatal accident at the intersection.  “I truly believe a traffic light would have prevented that accident from happening.  I think speed needs to be lowered on back beach road,” says Captain Cocco.

F-DOT says a study has been conducted on the intersection.  According to F-DOT Spokesman Tommie Speights, “it is a very busy intersection...however, during our analysis study of last year, it did not warrant a signal otherwise, the traffic count was not met.”

In the meantime, Major Dave Humphries of the Panama City Beach Police Department says for law enforcement it is a tough job to police this intersection.  “I’m no engineer...but common sense tells me when we keep having serious, significant, and sometimes fatal crashes...it doesn’t take an Enstein to figure out we need a traffic light there.”

But, F-DOT says at this time until more development comes and the traffic count increases there are no plans for a light.  So, what can be done?  Speights says, “well one of the things that we can do is maybe get some type of variable message board out there that says “intersection ahead”…until we do get something in the form of a signal there.“

Speights also says that a new traffic signal to be installed near the Clara Avenue intersection may make a difference.  The signal is approved for Nautilus Street.  Speights says it should provide gaps in traffic and reduce the average speed along Back Beach Road.

Posted by on 09/13 at 01:45 PM
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I’d like to know how many people have to die at back beach and clara ave. I lost my 22 year old daughter in the January 17, 2006 accident that involved Damon Kimmel and my daughter Lacey Brugge. Damon drove his jeep charokee in which my daughter was a passenger in the from seat.  He made a left hand turn and pulled out in front of a dump truck. The police investigator told me the accident was Damon’s fault but an investigation was pending. I have never heard back from the police Dept. She’s been dead 16 months and Today is her birthday. She would have been 24 today. She has a baby who’s 5 now who will never remember his mother. I want to know why Damon kimmel was never charged with having no insurance. I asked the police officer why he’d never been charged this and he just said it was a misdeminor. A 46 dollar ticket. She died because of massive head injuries. she was not wearing a seat belt. She smashed her head so hard into the windshield, that the ball cap she was wearing was inbeaded into the glass. her seat was untouched as far as damage. the jeep rolled and she landed not far from her memorial marker. If Damon had made sure all of his passengers where abiding by the seatbelt law, she would have still been alive. He was never charged with no seatbelt tickets. I am now raising her son, She had one sister. Her Dad and I.  My life will never be the same. She changed my life by making me a mother 24 years ago today. We are still trying to pay from her funeral. I still owe Southerland’s 5k
It cost over 12k to bury my precious baby girl. WE recieved no insurance money from Damon’s car insurance...he stopped paying his premium. I tried to go to a wrongfull death attorney and they said he owns nothing, he’s retired military, they won’t take the case because he’s broke and had no valid car insurance at the time. So maybe F-DOT never lost a child on Back beach and Clara Ave. I have . Maybe F-DOT should included complimentary funerals and plots for all our locals that have died at that intersection and all the future deaths that will happen untill there’s a light put at that intersection. Not only did my Lacey die there, A big piece of my heart died with her. I will never be the same person I was before she died. WE have all lost faith in the system in this town. We pay outragious taxes here, and yet no traffic siginal till they build more condos. One death at the intersection was to many and yet I know my daughter’s death was not the first.

RIP Precious baby girl.

Cathy Brugge 4/7/07

Above comment posted by  on  04/07  at  11:11 AM
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It is disturbing to see that Damon kimmel was never charged with having no insurance. In canada, its a $5,000 fine for driving without insurance

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