Pedestrian deaths rose to 21 in Marion County in 2024
Ongoing pedestrian safety actions include road, crosswalk and sidewalk improvement projects.
Katina Jones of Ocklawaha was one of 21 pedestrians struck and killed in Marion County in 2024. Jones, 49, of Ocklawaha, was walking on County Road 464 (Maricamp Road) in Silver Springs Shores when she was struck on May 31. This roadside memorial marker has been placed near the site. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
Last year was deadly for pedestrians and bicyclists on Marion County roadways.
Twenty-one pedestrians were killed countywide in crashes in 2024, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
In comparison, Volusia County, with a 2024 U.S. Census population of 602,772 compared to 428,905 for Marion County, had 18 pedestrian fatalities in 2024. Lake County, with a population similar to that of Marion County, had eight pedestrian traffic deaths in 2024. One of the state’s largest counties Miami-Dade, had 75 pedestrian fatalities in 2024, according to FHP data.
The ”Gazette” talked with city of Ocala, Marion County and state officials to learn more about the deaths and some pedestrian safety actions that are being implemented.
CITY OF OCALA
Ocala Police Department Public Information Officer Jeffrey Walczak confirmed that six people walking and two bicyclists were killed in collisions in Ocala city limits in 2024. In 2023, two pedestrians were struck and killed within city limits and four died in 2022. In 2020, 10 pedestrians died in the city limits.
OPD is continuing to look into the case of Mariano Raymundo, 28, who was found deceased near a retention pond in the 4400 block of College Road (State Road 200) around 7 a.m. on Nov. 20, 2024.
“(An OPD) investigation suggests he was crossing SR 200 northbound on an e-bike when a westbound vehicle struck him at an unknown time,” an OPD release stated.
The OPD Traffic Homicide Unit is asking that anyone with information call them at (352) 368-7000.
OPD Traffic Sgt. Justin Arnold stated in a message forwarded by Walczak that the pedestrian is often at fault in many collisions.
“Most of these incidents are pedestrian at-fault—usually people crossing roads outside of crosswalks or not using the signals and yielding to traffic. We run state-funded pedestrian safety operations every year, reaching thousands of people with warnings about the risks, but sadly, it’s still a problem that costs lives,” according to Arnold.
“The city’s growth and rising traffic, especially from non-locals, also contribute. As the county’s biggest hub, we see a lot of non-resident traffic flowing through,” Arnold stated.
A state trooper on duty in the local FHP office recently remarked that visibility, or lack thereof, is a common denominator in Marion County pedestrian traffic deaths and said impairment can be an issue in vehicle versus pedestrian collisions.
Motorists drive on Southeast Maricamp Road east of the intersection of Southeast 25th Avenue in Ocala on April 6, 2021. Marion County was awarded a federal road grant in 2024 to make improvements on a stretch of the road. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman]
Among the 2024 fatalities in Marion County was Raymond Martinez, 84.
On March 2, 2024, at 11:05 p.m., the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado traveling west struck a motorized scooter that was being towed east “along the roadway, against traffic in or adjacent to travel lane” by a “pedal-cyclist” on a “dark non-lighted” area of Spring Road, according to an FHP crash report.
Martinez, riding on the scooter, was killed in the crash. He was described in the report as “not visible” and wearing “dark clothing.” He was pronounced deceased at the scene at 11:10 p.m.
The driver of the truck, Mary Pate Wise, 40, at the time, was found in the neighborhood of the crash by Marion County Sheriff’s Office personnel and was positively identified by parts found at the scene and video footage from a residence, the crash report states. Wise was charged with violations related to leaving the scene of a crash with a fatality, injuries and property damage.
On May 31, 2024, Katina Jones of Ocklawaha was struck and killed while walking on County Road 464 (Maricamp Road) in Silver Springs Shores. A round roadside memorial marker placed near the site where she was struck admonishes drivers to “Drive Safely/In Memory of Katina Jones.”
Jones, 49, was struck by an eastbound 2023 Ford Transit van while standing on CR 464, in the 9400 block about 3.5 miles east of Baseline Road, around 5:36 a.m. and was pronounced deceased at the crash scene at 5:42 a.m. by Marion County Fire Rescue, according to an FHP crash report.
The report described the conditions as “dark, not lighted” but “clear” and stated that Jones was “not visible” and wore “dark clothing.”
The 36-year-old van driver told a trooper he swerved to the left to avoid to another pedestrian in the roadway and that’s when the van struck Jones “standing on the yellow line” of the turn lane in the center of roadway, according to the crash report.
No charges were listed in the report, which noted the driver was “not distracted.”
The stretch of Maricamp Road where Jones was struck, between Water Road and Emerald Road, sees a lot of pedestrian traffic with a convenience store and service station on the north side of Maricamp Road and a residential subdivision on the south side.
Stan Schneider lives in east Marion County and operates Schneider Lawn Care. He frequently drives on Maricamp Road, including the 9400 block where Jones was struck.
The nearest observed speed limit sign is 50 mph.
Schneider said he has seen drivers failing to stop for red lights, traveling at an excessive speed and making excessive lane changes.
“People drive like maniacs I’d like to see increased (traffic law) enforcement,” Schneider said.
Marion County Public Relations Manager Stacie Causey stated in an email that the county was awarded the state’s largest federal road grant in 2024 to make improvements on a stretch of Maricamp Road under the U.S Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
According to the U.S. DOT website, transportation.gov, Marion County was awarded $19,020,640 to enhance safety on Maricamp Road from near Southeast 53rd Court (west of Southeast 58th Avenue/Baseline Road) to just east of Southeast 108th Terrace Road.
Marion County Board of County Commissioners meeting notes forwarded by Causey discuss the project.
“With these funds, the county will be able to enhance multimodal connectivity, providing safer facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians to mitigate crash involvement for these groups. Specifically, we will look to reduce conflict points using raised medians to provide access management, designated U-turns, dedicated right-turn lanes, bicycle and pedestrian pathways with crosswalk enhancements, traffic signal improvements, and much more to improve safety and roadway operations for all users,” the notes state.
Causey highlighted additional pedestrian safety projects planned or ongoing in the county:
• The Best Foot Forward is a nonprofit that has worked with the Traffic Division of the Office of the County Engineer to identify 10 crosswalks in Belleview, Dunnellon and Ocala and unincorporated Marion County, maintained by Marion County, to make “low cost” improvements including signs and pavement markings
• The Florida Department of Transportation program Safe Routes to Schools, which centers on “enhancing safety along sidewalks and for pedestrians near schools.” Projects are ongoing or are set for schools including Legacy Elementary School and Marion Oaks Horizon.
STATE PROJECTS
Britney Jones, Communications Manager for Florida Department of Transportation District Five, which covers nine Central Florida counties including Marion, stated in an email that all FDOT projects for Marion County can be found at cflroads.com. Twelve projects are currently listed under the construction heading for Marion County.
Jones detailed a resurfacing project on State Road 464 (Maricamp Road) from Southwest 2nd Avenue to State Road 35 (Baseline Road) with sidewalks, bicycle lanes and other safety improvements, plus a resurfacing project on State Road 200 from east of Interstate 75 to South Pine Avenue, which will include three pedestrian hybrid beacons at three southwest Ocala intersections with overhead warnings.
Jones stated that FDOT works closely with the Ocala/Marion County Transportation Planning Office “to share the safety message widely through community outreach and educational campaigns.”
The Ocala/Marion County TPO has a “robust” action plan for safer local streets, which can be found at ocalamariontpo.org
TIPS FOR DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS:
Pedestrians:
• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. If one isn’t available, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
• Pay attention and keep alert at all times. Avoid wearing headphones so you can hear the traffic and pedestrians around you. Never text or look at your cellphone when crossing the street.
• Whenever possible, cross streets at crosswalks or intersections, where drivers expect pedestrians, and look for cars in all directions, including those turning. If neither are available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely and watch for traffic as you cross.
• Never enter the street from between parked cars. If crossing mid-block cannot be avoided, pedestrians must yield the right of way to vehicles on the roadway.
• Do not cross an intersection diagonally except where and when crossing is authorized by official traffic control devices.
• Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways or backing up in parking lots.
• Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night. Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact with drivers as they approach to make sure you are seen.
Motorists:
• Look out for pedestrians everywhere, at all times. Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or bad weather.
• Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk. Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing that you can’t see.
• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see and stop for the crossing pedestrians.
• Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street. Follow slower speed limits in school zones and in neighborhoods where children are present. Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
• A vehicle approaching a pedestrian legally crossing the street at an intersection must yield or stop to allow the person to cross. This applies to bicyclists as well as motor vehicle drivers.
• If motorists fail to yield, they face a minimum citation of $164 and three points on their driver’s license. Worse, they can severely injure someone, even taking their life.
• All sides of the intersection are crosswalks, marked or not, regardless of whether the sidewalk is paved or not. The only exception is where a state or local government has explicitly closed a particular crosswalk and a sign must be placed at such a crossing to indicate that it is closed.
• As drivers, you must be prepared to slow or stop at any time for emergency vehicles, buses, bicyclists, animals, other motorists slowing to turn and other situations.
• Be extra cautious when backing up as pedestrians can move into your path.
Source: The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, at flhsmv.gov
A “Safety Matters” bicycle and pedestrian safety video may be seen at youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Z-NLWgIfN90
Support community journalism
The first goal of the Ocala Gazette is to deliver trustworthy local journalism so corruption, misinformation and abuse are not hidden from the public or unchallenged.
