GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -- Dirt roads have kept homeowners like Joyce Hayton isolated for years. "An ambulance got stuck in front of my house," said Hayton.
"If we can't get there, we can't help you," said Sheriff Rick Beseler.
Sheriff Rick Beseler tells Action News the roads aren’t just an inconvenience. He says dirt roads in Middleburg, Clay Hill and Keystone Heights are a safety hazard.
"Our Impalas cannot access some parts of the county," said Beseler.
They have upgraded some of their cars to pickup trucks. And the change is already saving taxpayers one thousand dollars for each vehicle.
"It will last a lot longer with the grueling nature of police work on these washed out roads," said Beseler.
The Impalas normally last just four to five years or at around 90,000 miles. "I believe the Silverados will go to 130,000 or 140,000 miles before we start to see the same deterioration," said Beseler.
"A truck is built for it," said Hayton.
Right now, Sheriff Beseler says he won't know whether the switch will actually save money until the end of the year. But Hayton says, knowing a deputy can get to her home when she needs one, is priceless.
The Clay County Sheriff Department say the new Silverados will be on the road next month.
