Deerfield Beach District 2 Residents Worst Nightmare Realized When Pedestrian Killed at Corner of Hillsboro Blvd and MLK in Deerfield Beach

I had planned not to update this blog until after I returned from Canada, so I would be rested and well ready to continue fighting for the residents of my District 2 and Deerfield Beach against the fuckery perpetrated against us by the people up at the Deerfield Beach City Hall.


However, I write this with a heavy heart, but that pain gives me new purpose.


If you have been following my blog then you already know that I have been for months fighting for pedestrian safety in my District and City at the intersection of Hillsboro Blvd. and Martin Luther King Blvd and other intersections in the City.  If you are unfamiliar then you can read the post 

City of Deerfield Beach:What's Going On??? 

where residents petitioned the City for pedestrian safety in District 2, to only be patronized and then later ridiculed by City Management and the Commissioners.  I also talked about the safety concerns at Hillsboro and MLK, which apparently fell on deaf ears.


Which prompted the next post 

City of Deerfield Beach Commissioner on Pedestrian Safety: "At Some Time in the Future the City May Take On That Project."  When after a District 2 resident pedestrian or bicyclist is killed...

where I advised my readers of the response that I had gotten from District 2 Commissioner, Ben Preston, who basically told me that no action is warranted there and the City didn't have the money right now to take care of the safety concerns at the intersection.  The Commissioners even went so far as to blame the County, which prompted me to contact the County and inquire to see if something can be done.  I ended that post with the following statement.

"Let's be proactive and fix it now before we are fixing it after a life is taken.   City of Deerfield Beach Commissioners will it be worth the cost then????"

I continued to petition the FLDOT to install street lights at that intersection and take other safety measures to no avail.  Well, from the last email I received from them they are doing case studies to see if these upgrades are worth it...


Well, I now know that they are worth it because I can now put a face to the tragedy that many in our City and our District have been trying to avoid for years.

Thetus Fleming Jr.  (22)  killed by a hit and run driver at Hillsboro Blvd and MLK 2/17/12

Ben Preston, Mayor Peggy Noland, City Manager Burgess Hanson Look into this young man's eyes...Look Damnit!!!  

Thetus Fleming Jr. (fondly known to those who knew him as Lil Thet) was robbed of his life by a hit and run driver at the corner of Hillsboro Blvd and Martin Luther King in Deerfield Beach last night 2/17/12 (details still unknown).  

This is a personal tragedy for me because I have known this young man his entire life and although he has had his troubles he was recently turning his life around to only have it snubbed out by a careless S.O.B., who I hope has the decency to turn themselves in or is apprehended by BSO, which ever comes first.  I had been with him all day yesterday and have a few regrets that I won't mention and unspoken truths, but I will not allow this thing to be one of them. When I left him last night he was smiling, laughing, and joking around and mere moments later, nothing.  He was reduced to nothing and WHY????  Somebody tell me WHY???  

Knowing that he died at the very corner where I and many others have been fighting to improve the pedestrian safety makes this tragedy all the more hurtful and painful to me and I have been crying all morning.  I don't want my tears and the tears of all of his family and friends to be in vain.  I don't want another family to go through this anguish of having to say goodbye to their loved one because of bureaucracy and idiocy.  This tragedy senselessness will mean SOMETHING.  Lil Thet's death will not be in vain!!

I am reminded of the post

City of Deerfield Beach, Possibly Kills Pedestrian Safety in District 2.

 where I detailed my observations and conversations with City officials and FLDOT officials about the safety concerns at that intersection and the length's the City went to just to postpone and put off the upgrades to that intersection.


So this post is not only dedicated to Thetus Fleming Jr's memory, but also as a vehicle to plead with the bureaucrats in charge of upgrading the safety precautionary measures at that intersection, as well as installing street lights and a turning signal to expedite their long process before another life is taken.  Before another District 2 and Deerfield Beach residents is killed.  


I am humbly requesting that all residents of Deerfield Beach come together to protect ALL pedestrians and bicyclist of our City and petition your Commissioner to act now to upgrade all safety concerns at major and minor intersections.  I believe that this tragedy could have been avoided, so before you spend a day crying and in pain as I am right now...ACT NOW!!!


So while Ben, Peggy, Burgess, and many in the City will be celebrating Cracker Day, oops I mean Founder's Day, over in District 1...me, my family, and friends will be mourning the senseless and tragic death of Thetus Fleming Jr. over in District 2.