May 29th Florida Highway 308 near Crescent City Florida

High speed and late at night-  bad combination,   2 gone.  

Two Crescent City men were killed early Sunday when their vehicle left the road and was torn in half by a tree.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Christ Gomez and Hernan Hernandez were traveling east at a high speed on County Road 308 in Putnam County about 2:45 a.m. when their Honda Civic left the road on a curve.

The Highway Patrol report said the vehicle collided with a utility poll, a tree and then another tree. The vehicle was torn in half when it wrapped around the final tree, killing both men.

Gomez was 24, Hernandez was 21. Both men were wearing seat belts, the FHP said.

May 28 2014 Clifford Johnson - West King Street, St Augustine Florida

Came across this on the way to a historical marker today... On King St before Holmes Ave.

Wasn't sure about the Boxing Gloves, now that I did the research, he was a boxer locally.....

'Tiger Joe,' former pro boxer, hit as he rode his bicycle on West King Street

Clifford "Tiger Joe" Johnson, 63, passed away on April 19, 2013, due to an accident .Clifford was born on Aug. 13, 1949, in St. Augustine, Fla., to the late John Christie and the late Elouise Cooper Blevins. He graduated from Richard J. Murray High School in 1967. As a child, Clifford was raised in the Church of God on Twine Street .Clifford took pride in mowing and cleaning lawns for many years in the Lincolnville and Westside Community. He loved his dogs, Monster, Little Dickens and Crush (deceased). His past career as a professional boxer, with appearances in Miami, Bahamas and one event in St. Augustine. Clifford is preceded in death by his parents, Clifford L. Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson, and a sister Darla Cooper Powe .Clifford is survived by three sons, Clifford Jr., Kevin Johnson and Dwayne K. Baker, all of St. Augustine; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; four brothers, sister, other relatives and devoted friends, including Mr. and Mrs. George (Ollie) Smith .Those wishing to make donations to the burial fund of Clifford "Tiger Joe" Johnson may do so by making a deposit into the account set up for Mr. Johnson at Wells Fargo, please forward all donations to ACCT# 2320716166, it is with grateful hearts of appreciation the family acknowledges your thoughtful gifts of love .Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2013, at Dawson Chapel CME Church, the Rev. Ronald Stafford, Officiating, the Rev. Trudye Thompson, pastor. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. Calling Hours are 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Chase Chapel and at 10 a.m. Saturday until the hour of service.P rofessional services entrusted to Leo C. Chase & Son Funeral Home. 

May 17 2014 Chad Goode Columbia County Florida

Was not able to learn anything about this site- Google search was nil.

May 16th On the road to Perry, Florida A terrific story Navy Lt. Robert Allison

I was attracted to this one because of the big US Flag, slowly wafting in the breeze.  Took the shots, then learned about the story later tonight. Quite a story for this one:

On August 11, 1955 at approximately 1600 hours, Lt Robert Clem Allison was returning on a routine training mission from Pensacola NAS back to Jacksonville's Cecil Field when his F2H4 Banshee jet aircraft sustained a catastrophic in flight emergency requiring him to immediate land. Fortunately Lt. Allison was able to touch down on Highway 27 about 12 miles East of Perry, Florida. As he was making his final roll out a fully loaded log truck and another vehicle came around the curve just in front of him. Lt. Allison only had seconds to make a decision and his final decision was to give his failing aircraft full throttle, pulled up and fly it into a cypress swamp just off the side of the highway. Don L. Whitfield, the driver of the log truck said the aircraft missed the cab of his truck by inches, “I knew I was going to die, either by crashing into the ditch in my loaded truck or be killed by the jet.” Lt. Allison’s funeral was conducted in his home town of Robinson, Illinois. In his obituary it was stated he had died during a routine training mission therefore none of his friends and probably most of his family never knew the true sacrifice that he had made. It is still unclear if he was decorated by the Department of Navy for his heroism.
During the Korean War, Lt. Allison served 18 months on the heavy cruiser USS Bremerton and was commissioned a Navy Lieutenant (JG) upon his graduation from the US Naval Academy in 1952. In January 1954, he began flight training at Pensacola NAS and was subsequently reassigned to Cecil Field in Jacksonville.

A Banshee, of the type the LT was flying. 

May 14 On a rural road headed towards Wellborn Florida

Did not see a name for this one-  pretty sure it was a young man, guessing from the decorations. 

May 14, 2014 On the way to Suwanee State Park Florida

Was not able to gather any details about this young lady.   

May 4th Wildwood Drive and Winterhawk St Augustine

This was a sad accident-  Driven by it several times, but didn't photograph it until today...

Teen dies in bike crash

Woman was riding dirt bike on Wildwood Drive when struck

A grief-stricken father fell to his knees, his hands covering his face, as he learned his 18-year-old daughter died Thursday when she was struck by a car as she rode a dirt bike on Wildwood Drive near Winterhawk Drive.

Shae Lynn Burchfield was riding a Honda motorized bike around 3 p.m. when Frederick Andrews, 50, hit her in his 1994 red Ford Bronco, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The bike erupted into flames on the road.

Investigators had not determined if alcohol was a factor. It was also unclear if the victim was wearing a helmet.

A man and his daughter driving on Wildwood Drive, the first to drive by after the accident, tried to help Burchfield.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue medics performed CPR, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

As investigators examined the scene, a St. Johns County deputy tried to hold onto Burchfield's father and comfort him.

Burchfield's sister sat in the shade at the intersection of Wildwood Drive and Winterhawk Drive, less than a block from her home, sobbing, "She's gone; nothing matters anymore," while surrounded by her family.

Family members did their best to restrain her as she cried out and attempted to lunge through the police tape when deputies pronounced her older sister dead on the roadway.

The family did not stay for long. Neighbors gathered where the street had been closed off, teary-eyed and shocked that the young woman from down the street was now dead.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers and St. Johns County Sheriff's deputies closed Wildwood Drive for more than an hour on Thursday while they investigated the scene and cleared the roadway.

May 4 Revisit to Florida 207 and CR 305

I noticed passing by this one that it had changed in its appearance-  Much more plainer.  

Bobbie Dingler passed away when a truck pulled out in front of her van in the fog.  

Here is what it looked like when I first found it a couple of years ago:

And what it looked like today-  pretty barren- wonder if the State Highway folks "cleaned" it up? 

May 4 2014 Fl. 207 and Bourke Floyd Road

This was a new one for me, Daryl James Hayward-  he was struck and killed  by an off duty Sheriff's Deputy.  

 Friends, family remember Hayward

                                                              Daryl James Hayward

The front lawn of the First Baptist Church of Armstrong in Elkton was crowded with family members, friends and co-workers who gathered to celebrate the life of longtime St. Johns County resident Daryl James Hayward on Friday evening.

Hayward, 44, was killed when he was struck by an off-duty St. Johns County deputy on State Road 207 near the St. Johns County Fairgrounds the night of April 24.

He was tending to his broken down SUV around 10:40 p.m. Easter night when he stepped out into the roadway and was hit head-on by a patrol car, Florida Highway Patrol reports show.

Affectionately known as "Pam," Hayward was a longtime truck driver and worked for the St. Johns County Public Works department for many years. He regularly drove an 18-ton dump truck, cement mixer and semi-trailer, said St. Johns County Public Works Director Joe Stevenson.

"He was a very reliable and dependable fellow to work with, which means a lot to us in this department," Stevenson said. "Plus he always had a pleasant personality. That's as good as it gets."

Hayward was born in Smithtown, N.Y., on Sept. 16, 1966, to his proud parents, Willie James and Evon Hayward. He grew up going to St. Johns County schools and worked as a farm laborer with his father, aunt and uncle before joining the county's road and bridge department in 2002.

He also has a twin brother.

"Every couple of weeks when he came into the office to pick up his paycheck, he would always ask, 'Where's the other one for my brother Daryl?'" Stevenson remembers. "We always thought he was just joking, but I just learned that he actually has a twin brother."

When Hayward wasn't busy driving trucks around town, he was spending time with his large, extended family that lives on Armstrong Street in Elkton.

"We have three houses right next to each other; he always came over and cut everyone's lawns," said his niece, Stacie Bryson. "He always took the time to see his younger nieces and nephews and get them slushies."

Bryson said he also spent a lot of time caring for his parents and taking them to and from Gainesville for regular doctors' appointments.

"He worshipped his parents," said Chuck Cruishank, a fellow county truck driver. "He was very adamant that they were well taken care of."

Most of all, he loved to fish.