Drivers anxious about safety on U.S. 17 after deadly crash

Crowded and dangerous is how drivers describe U.S. 17 in Fleming Island.

A crash involving a car and semitruck killed two people Monday.

With more people moving to town, the problem is only going to get worse.

Lynn Modlin said she drives on U.S. 17 at least once a day.

“You’ve got to be very careful. Two seconds isn’t worth your life,” she said.

Part of the highway was closed for hours after the semi and car collided.

Photos: Two killed in accident in Fleming Island

“What a horrific accident, that’s just awful,” Modlin said.

Investigators said a 67-year-old man and 62-year-old woman were in a Hyundai Sonata that hit by the big rig as they attempted to turn onto U.S. 17.

The two people in the car, who were both from Orange Park, died after the crash. The semitruck driver and a passenger weren’t seriously hurt.

The Florida Highway Patrol said there have been 167 crashes in the area within the last year and three were fatal.

“The traffic is just getting heavier and heavier,” Modlin said.

According to the state of Florida County Profile Map, there’s around 200,000 people living in Clay County.

The county's population increased 5.5 percent from 2010 to 2015 and is expected to grow 12 percent by 2020.

“I always watch the other driver," Modlin said. "I pretty much stay in that middle lane and when I’m turning, I turn my blinker on way in advance. I’m not taking any chances."

Cox Media Group