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Drivers keep crashing into a Bloomingdale wall and homeowners are stuck with the hefty bill

Posted at 1:44 PM, Mar 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-27 06:58:19-04

BLOOMINGDALE, Fla. — For the second time in less than a year, a driver crashed into the wall at the intersection of Culbreath Road and Erindale Drive in Bloomingdale.

The latest crash happened Monday, March 25. The Hillsborough County sheriff's office says a male driver failed to stop at the stop sign on Erindale, and plowed right into the wall.

In July 2018, ABC Action News first told you about a driver that was arrested for DUI and other charges after crashing through a brick wall, knocking down the Bloomingdale neighborhood sign, before plunging into a swimming pool.

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ABC action news found out Bloomingdale taxpayers had to pay $13,000 to fix the wall and the sign in July. The truck driver had insurance, but Bloomingdale Special Tax district only got $3,000 from the insurance company. They are not sure how much it's going to cost to fix the damage from Monday's crash.

This is the fifth time in three years that someone has crashed into either the wall, the sign, or both. Taxpayers have had to pay over $30,000 in damages, mostly because some of the drivers didn't have insurance.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's office is aware of the issue and said that speeding has been a problem in the area for several years. Officials have put signs up in the area and deputies have increased patrols.

In January, ABC Action News reporter JJ Burton profiled the same stretch of road again because cars were not following the 30 mph speed limit.

Hillsborough County officials said TECO went out after that crash in July to put in new LED lights to make the intersection brighter.

But many neighbors are still looking for more to be done. The speed limit in the area is 30, but neighbors say most days drivers are going over 50.

The former president of the HOA, George May, said neighbors voted to increase their taxes so the money could be used to pay off-duty deputies to patrol the area at night.