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Highlands Today

Traffic Fatalities Rise Locally In 2007

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By BRAD DICKERSON Highlands Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 18, 2008

SEBRING - Florida saw traffic fatalities drop for the second straight year in 2007, although Highlands County's numbers rose slightly.

The total number of fatal traffic accidents for Highlands County was 24, compared to 21 in 2006, according to the Florida Crash Statistics Report, issued by the Florida Department of Highway and Safety.

Lt. Chris Miller, public affairs officer with the Florida Highway Patrol's Bradenton office, said nothing specific came to mind to describe the rise in Highlands County traffic deaths in 2007.

Like the rest of the state, Highlands County's 2006 and 2007 figures are down substantially from 2005, when the local area saw 33 fatalities on county roadways.
Highlands County had a total of 789 vehicle crashes in 2007, which was down from 859 in 2006.

Sebring saw 76 total crashes, while Avon Park had 133 and Lake Placid netted 47.

Of the 24 traffic fatalities in Highlands County in 2007, three of them involved victims on motorcycles. That number was down from five in 2006, but was tied with the 2005 number.

Alcohol-related fatalities were five for 2007, which was a decrease from nine and 16 in 2006 and 2005, respectively

Charles Polovny could theoretically be classified as a victim in both categories. The 62-year-old and his wife, Leanne, were traveling on State Road 70 on April 14, 2007, when his Honda motorcycle was sideswiped by a car driven by Brenda Sue Oberdier-Martinez, 51, according to an April 27, 2008 Highlands Today report.

The Polovnys, both of whom were wearing helmets, were thrown from the bike. Despite the safety gear, Charles Polovny was pronounced dead at the scene. Leanne was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Oberdier-Martinez was arrested by Highlands County sheriff's deputies after a strong odor of alcohol was smelled on her breath. A traffic citation listed her breath alcohol at .155, nearly twice the Florida legal limit of .080.

In March of this year, Oberdier-Martinez pleaded guilty to charges of DUI causing manslaughter and DUI causing serious bodily injury. Judge Peter Estrada, in the Highlands County Courthouse, sentenced her to 12 years in prison.

Additionally, she was fined more than $7,000 in court costs and fees, sentenced to three years probation after her release from prison and had her driver's license suspended for life.

"Sometimes people wonder what is the cost of an addiction," Estrada said at the April sentencing. "You, ma'am, are going to learn first hand what the cost of an addiction is."

Statewide, the 2005 number was 3,533. In 2006, that figure dipped to 3,365. Fatalities slid even further to 3,221 in 2007.

"There's certainly less traffic on the roads due to the increased fuel prices," Miller said.

On Oct. 17, 2005, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas was $2.81 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater region, according to Sue Farley, public relations for AAA. For the same date in 2006, the price actually dropped to $2.15.

By Oct. 17, 2007, a gallon of regular gas jumped to $2.75 in the aforementioned region, AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report stated. On Friday, it was sitting at $3.07.

Miller added that educating the general public on traffic-related issues such as seat belts and speeding have made an impact on reducing the number of highway deaths.

"We certainly hope all the education and enforcement that we've done have helped," he said.

Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com.

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