Two crashes in Collier County this weekend left three people dead, raising more concerns about road safety in Southwest Florida.
In the first accident, two drivers died in a fiery head-on collision Saturday night on State Road 82 in Immokalee.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened just after 11:30 p.m., about a mile west of Gator Slough Lane. A 60-year-old Lehigh Acres man driving an SUV veered into oncoming traffic, colliding with a 21-year-old woman, also from Lehigh Acres. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene.
State Road 82 has a reputation for being a deadly road. At least seven other fatalities have been reported on this stretch in Lee County since July.
Michelle Avola-Brown, executive director of the Naples Pathways Coalition, says driver behavior is a significant factor in these tragedies.
"So I see people streaming videos, people Snapchatting," said Avola-Brown. "People have admitted to me countless times that they do their Amazon shopping while they're driving, pay bills, check the weather, check their social media, send an email, read an email, play video games, all sorts of stuff."
The weekend also saw another fatal crash in Golden Gate Estates . A 60-year-old motorcyclist died Saturday after crashing into the back of a pickup truck.
Avola-Brown urged drivers to stay focused and cautious on the roads.
"On average, on Florida roads, nine people die every single day. As many as six of them are thought to be caused by distracted driving," she said. "There's no excuse to not be focusing on the road [...] We need to just take a deep breath. We're all trying to get where we need to go, but let's make sure we all show up there alive."
Both crashes remain under investigation.