ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County leaders are looking into whether to add more safety changes at an Orange County intersection after at least two fatal crashes there in the past two months.
The closer look comes as the only survivor in a heartbreaking tragedy is speaking out for the first time. She was a grandmother who lost five of her family members in a bad crash last Thursday in Orange County.
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In her first news interview since the crash, Shawn Jones Oliver told News 6′s Jerry Askin she’s devastated.
“I just know I’m going to miss all of them, and I can’t call on them anymore,” Oliver said.
During the interview, tears ran down her face and she wore a neck brace as she’s still trying to recover from the crash.
She was the driver of the vehicle that troopers said tried to make a left turn on Gaymar Drive from Clarcona Ocoee Road when she was hit from the side by an oncoming car. Her two daughters and three grandchildren all died in the crash, including her granddaughter Chloe, who Oliver said was so supportive during her battle with stage 4 cancer.
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“She prayed for me and lifted me up with her smile,” Oliver said.
Oliver is now calling for more safety measures at this same interaction, especially after a separate fatal crash there in January.
“(They need) another traffic light, speed bumps because they do fly down that street all the time,” Oliver said.
On Monday, News 6 saw a patrol deputy parked by the crash site as Orange County leaders released the following statement:
“Orange County Traffic Engineering Division has initiated a traffic safety evaluation at the intersection of Gaymar Drive and Clarcona Ocoee Road. The safety evaluation will be concluded no later than May 30, 2021.”
Troopers say the driver of the other car is recovering and charges are pending in this crash.
Oliver said she’s thankful for all of the community support.
If you want to help this family raise money for the victims’ funerals, click here.