OK, So This Wreck Was Where? Here’s Your Sign, But Appearances Can Be Deceiving.

March 8, 2021

A minor single vehicle wreck early Saturday morning on Highway 97 — no, wait — Highway 21 wasn’t where it appeared to be.

A driver northbound on Highway 97 at the Florida/Alabama state line in Davisville lost control, crossed the centerline, and struck the south side of a sign that says “Florida State Line. Escambia County.” It seems pretty clear cut that it was in Florida.

But like the headline says, it appears appearances can be deceiving.

Both the Atmore Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol were called to the crash shortly before 1:30 a.m.

And in the end, officials determined the vehicle was in Alabama, even though the big sign over the car certainly seems to indicate it’s in Florida.

Turns about, according to Escambia County Florida Property Appraiser maps, the Florida state line sign is just a few feet north of the state line in Alabama. That’s presumably because the highway folks didn’t want to plant the sign in someone’s driveway that is at the actual state line.

At last report, the woman in the crash was not injured.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

11 Responses to “OK, So This Wreck Was Where? Here’s Your Sign, But Appearances Can Be Deceiving.”

  1. Robert Mathews on March 10th, 2021 7:48 pm

    Looks like she was able to keep her COVID 19 mask on during all this confusion wherever it really happened

  2. William Reynolds on March 9th, 2021 2:10 pm

    “Well William can you tell us was that a person in the car or just a superior mirage such like the floating ship seen off the Cornish coast?”

    No floating ships, or heads. It’s a woman who was not interested in exiting her vehicle well after the crash.

  3. kane on March 9th, 2021 1:27 pm

    Well William can you tell us was that a person in the car or just a superior mirage such like the floating ship seen off the Cornish coast? I magnified it and it sure looks like a head but also (because of the shadowing) could be a seat seen from the side with reflections of artifacts on the driver side window.

  4. William Reynolds on March 8th, 2021 2:37 pm

    >>What’s going on here ..look like a head was photoshopped in the car.

    The photo is not photoshopped beyond brightening it a little bit.

  5. Gabe on March 8th, 2021 2:35 pm

    What’s going on here ..look like a head was photoshopped in the car.

  6. Anne on March 8th, 2021 11:30 am

    WOW….top photo looks like the woman is Still in the Car….
    Surely, that’s not the case but the appearance is she’s in the driver seat just sitting there looking forward.
    Click on pic to enlarge, two LEO standing to right, sure looks like a person in vehicle.
    Thankful only the sign and bumper scuffed up.

  7. Turn Left at the boundary marker on March 8th, 2021 6:57 am

    JF…if only we’d figure out some new technology like GPS or flying things in the sky with cameras

  8. JF on March 8th, 2021 6:51 am

    Actually the stated boundary line could be inaccurate! Andrew ELLICOTT surveyed the boundary line between the Mississippi Territory and Spanish Florida and left one marker over near Mt. Vernon(Ellicott Stone). (31st Parallel) From the Miss. River to the Chatt. River! He was perhaps 15 feet off in some locations, particularly over near Fanny, AL and many folks still could be claiming the wrong State!

  9. Where Am I? on March 8th, 2021 6:23 am

    My Mom told the story of an interesting situation many years ago (1930’s) of a family who lived where the Ft. Rucker reservation is now. Their house and property was bisected by the Dale/Coffee County line. This caused perplexing questions and dilemmas when it came to taxes and voting.

  10. Hmmm on March 8th, 2021 1:24 am

    So those signs are not always on the exact state lines? My whole childhood is called into question. All those times in the car, trying to outreach my siblings to be the first into the next state… how can you ever know who won if you don’t exactly where the line is?

  11. Reader on March 8th, 2021 1:16 am

    Interesting. Sorry the lady had a wreck. But thanks for the interesting story. I’ve driven there hundreds or thousands of times and never noticed.