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Push Continues To Widen Full Length Of Highway 164 Following School Bus And Tractor Crash
May 4, 2024
Authorities say the width of the roadway did not contribute to the crash involving a school bus and tractor Friday afternoon, but there is a ongoing push to widen the rural road.
Just two days before the crash, NorthEscambia.com published a story about the dangerously narrow roadway and a county commissioner’s promise to widen it, supported by the Escambia County School district for student safety.
Friday’s collision happened at the intersection of Highway 164 and Wilma Road just after 4 p.m.
RELATED STORY: Bus, Tractor Crash Near Walnut Hill
The Florida Highway Patrol said both the relatively small antique Ford tractor and the Escambia County School District s were traveling east on Highway 164 when the bus driver attempted to pass the tractor in a passing zone.
“The driver of the tractor failed to yield to traffic when making a left turn onto Wilma Road,” FHP said.
The 47-year-old male tractor operator from McDavid was ejected from the tractor. He was airlifted by AirCare helicopter as a “trauma alert” to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. There were two dozen students on Escambia County School District bus 12-22 from Ernest Ward Middle and Northview High schools. A 12-year-old female student was transported to Jay Hospital by Escambia County EMS for evaluation of a minor injury. The bus driver, a 62-year-old female from Century, was not injured.
Highway 164 has been the scene of several near head-on crashes and sideswipes attributed to the narrow roadway. Prior to Friday, Escambia district buses had been involved in three collisions with other motorists on Highway 164 since 2015. Two of those involved mirror-to-mirror collisions with other commercial vehicles, and the third resulted in an overturned pickup truck.
The photograph to the left and just below, both taken Friday afternoon at the school bus crash shows that McDavid Fire Station Squad 9 and an Escambia County EMS ambulance are both wider than the travel lane on Highway 164.
“I’m very sorry to hear about the serious accident on Highway 164,” Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry said after learning of Friday’s crash. ” I’m so thankful to hear that no children were seriously injured, and I’m committed to continue working to secure the funding for widening the portions of the road not currently contracted to be improved.”
The Escambia County Commission recently approved a $1.25 million project to widen about 2.16 total miles of Highway 164 that were identified as having the most accidents between May 2018 and May 2013.
“I promise it’s not the completion of the project, only the first phase including the worst area, and I will keep working diligently to secure the funds needed for additional widening of Highway 164 and for other roads which need these type improvements as well,” Barry said recently.
In letters to NorthEscambia.com, Escambia County School Superintendent Keith Leonard and Transportation Director Darlene Hart supported Barry’s efforts but also urged that the entire 11.5 mile length of Highway 164 be widened from McDavid to Walnut Hill.
“We are fortunate that our county is working to widen a stretch of this highway, but it is imperative that the entire length of Highway 164 be updated to accommodate the width of all vehicles to travel safely,” Leonard said.
“Our district school buses practice extreme caution while traveling Highway 164 for the safety of our students while on board,” Leonard added. “It would be in the best interest of all citizens for Highway 164 to be widened to modern day standards.”
“We appreciate the county’s efforts to widen a portion of Highway 164, which is most frequently used. However, we urge them to consider widening the entire length of the road for the safety of our students,” the transportation director wrote.
The newly funded project will widen Highway 164 to 11-foot wide travel lanes two-thirds of a mile east from Highway 97 and a 1.5 mile stretch that is three-quarters of a mile either side of the Pine Barren Road intersection. (See maps below.) Friday’s crash, which was not caused by the road width, is several miles outside the upcoming project limits.
NorthEscambia.com photos and graphics, click to enlarge.
Comments
11 Responses to “Push Continues To Widen Full Length Of Highway 164 Following School Bus And Tractor Crash”
Widening the road is the right thing to do and it likely had no affect for this crash, but “share the road” with ag equipment certainly would have. An impatient driver passing, especially a school bus full of students, is a dangerous prospect. I would like to see the video from the forward facing camera on the bus before I make a judgement who was actually at fault in this “passing” maneuver.
REGARDING:
“I don’t see how it is possible for a vehicle traveling in the same direction to be able to LAWFULLY pass in a lane that is occupied by oncoming traffic which the turning vehicle is waiting for?
it is actually a confusing law”
Break the sentence into multiple parts and consider the one seemingly applying here:
“The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection … shall yield the right-of-way to any … vehicles lawfully passing on the left of the turning vehicle, which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard.
That should reduce any confusion. If you come to an intersection and wish to turn left but are being passed from behind, wait until it is safe to do so.
Betting the bus was traveling too fast to stop for the farmer and decided to goaround him. Glad a logging truck wasnt coming and the farmer was stopped for him.
Assuming one is waiting to turn left due to ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I don’t see how it is possible for a vehicle traveling in the same direction to be able to LAWFULLY pass in a lane that is occupied by oncoming traffic which the turning vehicle is waiting for?
it is actually a confusing law….
Mr. Leonard,
Why would School buses be passing on Hwy 164 ?
It is an unsafe roadway after all.
Ah, but did the bus driver provide proper signal when initiating the pass as required in F.S.S. 316.083(1)(5)?
316.083 Overtaking and passing a vehicle, a bicycle or other nonmotorized vehicle, or an electric bicycle.—The following rules shall govern the overtaking and passing of vehicles, bicycles and other nonmotorized vehicles, and electric bicycles, subject to those limitations, exceptions, and special rules hereinafter stated:
(1) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction must give an appropriate signal as provided for in s. 316.156, must pass to the left thereof at a safe distance, and must not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.
(5) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle must give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle, on audible signal or upon the visible blinking of the headlamps of the overtaking vehicle if such overtaking is being attempted at nighttime, and must not increase the speed of his or her vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.
Road width does play a part.
@Confused…..per Florida Statute 316.122:
316.122 Vehicle turning left.—The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, or vehicles lawfully passing on the left of the turning vehicle, which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard. A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.
All be it that the road needs to be widened this was a very avoidable accident, hopefully the Bus Drivers in the North end of the county are trained to understand they are in Farm country and should take the needed cautions related to farm equipment on the roads, I doubt very seriously that passing this tractor was going to make a significant difference in getting the wonderful Children home. Should have never happened
Mr. Leonard, please also look at getting drivers education classes for Northview. Huge savings for families on their insurance. They can save up to $4-500 a year per child on their insurance. I have been told in the past this was not in the school boards budget. I am sure there are a lot of parents that would like to see that savings on their automobile insurance.
How did the farmer fail to yield to traffic that was behind him? Am I missing something?
This will be like Hwy 4 where it was widdened only by Northview. We just don’t understand the purpose of this. Many of the roads in the northend need to be repaired/widened. All of 164, all of County Rd 4, South Hwy 99 and many more. If the commissioners or others drove these roads in the dark or on rainy days, maybe something would be done sooner.