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Woman works to make retention ponds safer

Published  February 8, 2016 11:41pm EST
News
FOX 51 Gainesville

MAITLAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Ever since the death of her friend, Chloe Arenas, last year, Clarissa Lindsey has made it her mission to fight her safer roads in the name of her friend. 

"She's always been by my side so I know at this point if it was reversed she would do the same for me and I think this is a perfect way to honor her legacy because I know if she was given the opportunity to save other lives then she would do the same," Lindsey said.

Chole's law was introduced last October, after 21-year-old Chloe Arenas died after she lost control of her car on Alafaya Trail and state road 408 when her car plunged into a pond.

"If there had been a guardrail in place I am 100 percent confident that she would be here," Arenas said.

The law would require the Florida Department of Transportation to take a closer look at weather or not guardrails are needed in certain areas near roads.

"FDOT is required with this law to study any death crash site that has occurred in the past 10 years and re-evaluate it see if a guardrail is needed there," Lindsey said.

Lindsey spoke before the Maitland City Council at Monday night’s meeting during discussion of the Maitland Concourse North project being proposed on Maitland Blvd. -- a retention pond is being proposed as part of the project and Lindsey says guardrails need to be included in the project.

Lindsey says the goal is to encourage cities to be proactive about safety for drivers near bodies of water even before the law is passed.

"They're not aware that these accidents are happening almost on a weekly level so I think it's important to start small and really spread the word and get it out there and bring awareness to the issue," Lindsey said.

"It keeps her alive every day whether it's through words or memories and seeing these guardrails go up is really going to be huge," said Lauren Walker, Lindsey’s sister.

Implementation of the bill would cost  $2.4 million dollars as part of the FDOT budget. The bill has already passed several committees.