Perhaps, 2022 will be the year that Villagers make a resolution to think safety first when navigating roundabouts in The Villages.

We had more than our share of serious accidents at traffic circles last year here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

• In February, an early-morning accident in a roundabout shut down southbound traffic on the Morse Boulevard bridge at Lake Sumter. A landscaping truck with pine straw was on the inside lane of the roundabout when a car crashed into the rear of the vehicle.

A crash in a roundabout in February shut down the bridge at Lake Sumter Landing.

• A Villager’s adult son was arrested in March on a drunk driving charge after a crash in a roundabout near Brownwood.  

• A woman with New York plates was arrested in September after crashing in a roundabout near Savannah Center.

The pieces of the decorative light pole were left in the roundabout at El Camino Real and Buena Vista Boulevard.
The pieces of the decorative light pole were left in the roundabout in September at El Camino Real and Buena Vista Boulevard.

• That same month, a 43-year-old Village of DeLuna man was driving a blue 2009 Volkswagen Eos traveling south on Morse Boulevard approaching the roundabout at Pinellas Place near the entrance to the Village of Sanibel when he suffered a seizure. His vehicle struck the rear of a black 2011 Mercedes E350 four-door driven by a 71-year-old Village of Bradford man.

Emergency personnel tend to a patient after an accident Thursday afternoon in the roundabout at Morse Boulevard and Moyer Loop
Emergency personnel tend to a patient after an accident in the roundabout at Morse Boulevard and Pinellas Place.

• A 76-year-old Village of St. James man lost his license after crashing a black Lexus at the roundabout at Buena Vista Boulevard and St. Charles Place. The Lexus was “engulfed in flames” in the crash at the roundabout which is located between the Sandhill and Turtle Mound executive golf courses.

• Wildwood police stepped up enforcement after a motorcyclist died after a high-speed crash in the roundabout between the Village of Marsh Bend and the Village of McClure. A drunk driving suspect was arrested after a single-vehicle crash in that same roundabout in August.

The Sumter County Board of County Commissioners in cooperation with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has developed an educational guide to navigating roundabouts in Sumter County. At the request of Sumter County officials, the District is providing this brochure for your information. If you have any questions regarding this information, contact the Sumter County Public Works Department at (352) 793-0240.

For a full explanation about roundabouts, follow the link below:

http://www.districtgov.org/community/Roundabout-02-08-12.pdf