Sandalwood senior killed at intersection in 'high frequency crash area'

Denny Grahovic was killed when a woman ran a red light at Beach Blvd. and St. Johns Bluff on Thursday.

On Friday afternoon, a group of Sandalwood High School students placed signs at the intersection where the 18-year-old was killed.

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The students tell Action News Jax they’re struggling with not only the loss, but the fact that it could have been prevented.

“It happened and they weren’t even doing anything wrong,” said Katlyn Pumphrey, one of Denny’s friends.

The teen says she frequently drives in the area and that the roads, especially Beach Boulevard, are always overcrowded. Other drivers shared the same sentiment, saying they always see accidents in the area.

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Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirms that Beach Boulevard is one of the busiest roads in Jacksonville. Information obtained by Action News Jax shows more than 4,900 red-light violation notices were issued in February 2016 alone.

JSO public information officer Christian Hancock says speed and distracted driving are two contributing factors.

“Those cellphones, people fail to put them down when driving," Hancock said.

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Red-light cameras are supposed to help keep people from running a red and there are cameras at the intersection where Grahovic was killed.

JSO has 41 red-light cameras placed at the city’s most dangerous intersections, also referred to as “high frequency crash areas.” The largest concentration of the cameras is on Beach Blvd.

“People know they’re there, it does create that sense to people that they need to stop or they’re going to get that notice of violation in the mail,” Hancock said.

A 2014 study by the Florida Department of Highway Safety analyzed 23 Jacksonville intersections before and after the installation of red-light cameras. Those intersections saw an increase in crashes. We asked motorists if the cameras influenced their driving. While some said yes others said that in most cases, the cameras and the threat of a ticket don’t make a difference.

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