Two employees of the Front Porch restaurant and tavern were hit by a car while crossing N. Florida Avenue earlier this week, and they are now recovering at a local hospital.
The crash happened Tuesday night. Danny George, 34, of Tampa, and Isaiah Moss, 26, of Tampa, apparently didn't see the car headed southbound as they both stepped out into the road to cross the street. Both were hit by the car that was going about 45 miles per hour, according to a Tampa Police traffic report.
The driver was not impaired, according to Tampa Police, and not charged. The driver's young daughter was in the back seat at the time of the accident, according to the report.
George and Moss were apparently just crossing the street to get to the bus stop at Idlewild Avenue, restaurant employees tell ABC Action News. They work in Front Porch's kitchen.
Some people who live and work in the area believe more could be done to keep them safe.
"That could have happened to anybody that could have happened to some of my employees," says Brittany McCallister, the manager of Fodder & Shine, a restaurant right next door to Front Porch.
McCallister says she and many other employees frequently park across N. Florida Avenue to park, and believes crosswalks should be installed in the area.
"You're trying to get across that street and there's really no great place to cross," adds McCallister.
McCallister tells ABC Action News that with all the recent growth in the Seminole Heights area, she believes there needs to be a priority on improving the infrastructure to support all the additional people and businesses.
McCallister says some of her employees ran out to help George and Moss after the crash happened on Tuesday.
An owner of the Front Porch tells ABC Action News that she visited the two employees in the hospital, adding that both men suffered broken bones, but are expected to make a full recovery.
The owner created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the two men, since they will likely be out of work for quite a while, over $1,000 had already been raised, just days after the crash.