MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Law enforcement is reminding everyone to use common sense when it comes to pedestrian safety and crossing busy highways.
This comes after two fatal pedestrian crashes on U.S. Highway 1 in Martin County over the weekend and nearly a third incident.
"It's alarming for us," Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told WPTV. "We rarely see pedestrian fatalities, and to have almost three in one weekend is something we're paying attention to."
On Sunday night, investigators said a man atttempted to cross U.S. Highway 1 at Southeast Hydrangea Street in Port Salerno when he was struck.
Ten miles south on U.S. Highway 1, the sheriff's office said another man tried to cross at the intersection with Bridge Road on Friday night, also outside of a designated crosswalk. He was struck and killed by a vehicle.
"Both (incidents occurred) with individuals crossing traffic between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.," Budensiek added.
The third case also happened Sunday night. A man stopped his car in the middle of the intersection at Pratt Whitney Road and Bridge Road to move a snake out of the road.
"As he was removing the snake, a vehicle went around his car and struck him, actually knocked him off the road into a water retention ditch," the sheriff explained.
That man is currently recovering at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
The sheriff is issuing this reminder early in the year.
"There's more traffic on the road than there ever has been. You can't take anything for granted. There's a lot of noise. You can look one way and not see a car, then all of a sudden, there is a car," Budensiek warned.
Investigations are ongoing in all three cases. The sheriff confirmed that the drivers involved stopped at the scene in each instance.
