East Tampa homeowner fears for safety after at least a dozen crashes over 20 years outside her home

Woman worries about cars hitting her home

A longtime East Tampa homeowner said she can no longer find peace inside her own home, after years of repeated crashes at an intersection just feet from her front door. FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A longtime East Tampa homeowner said she can no longer find peace inside her own home, after years of repeated crashes at an intersection just feet from her front door.

Christine Vickers, who has lived at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 17th Street since 1979, said cars have been crashing outside her home for decades with little action taken to prevent it.

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A crash late Friday night left shattered glass, broken headlight pieces and a mangled fence behind. Vickers said it’s just the latest in a long line of close calls — including at least a dozen over the years.

What they're saying:

Vickers said the constant collisions have taken a toll on her sense of safety and her sleep.

"Sometimes it’s two or three times a month," she said. "I’ll be awake at three in the morning, not knowing when a car is going to crash into my home."

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She began documenting the crashes in 2006. Photos show multiple vehicles colliding at the intersection, with one often barreling through her fence and toward her house. Images capture crashes from January 2020, May 2020, November 2024 and again just days ago.

One of the closest calls destroyed her front porch.

"She is frightened," said her niece, Amanda Spivey. "If you were in your home, how would you feel?"

Dig deeper:

In an effort to protect herself, Vickers installed yellow safety poles in her yard to stop cars from reaching her home. Still, she said fear dictates her daily life.

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"Sometimes I’m scared to go to the mailbox," she said. "I got a P.O. box, so I don’t have to go out there."

There’s also a financial toll. 

Vickers estimates she’s spent between $3,000 and $4,000 of her own money repairing damage over the years. She said drivers don’t always have enough insurance, or insurers won’t pay enough to fully cover the repairs.

She’s filed claims through her homeowners' insurance, but said those claims drove up her premiums.

"I can’t keep doing that," Vickers said. "I’m a senior citizen on a fixed income."

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Why you should care:

Vickers and her family said they’ve reached out repeatedly to the Florida Department of Transportation, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County but nothing has changed.

"Everyone is passing the buck," Spivey said. "No one is taking responsibility."

That lack of action is what prompted Spivey to contact FOX 13. She wonders if her aunt’s neighborhood isn’t getting the attention it deserves. 

"Is it going to take a life for action?" she asked. "Would this be the same issue if this was FishHawk, Bayshore or Wesley Chapel?"

What's next:

Vickers said she’s not asking for much, just something to slow drivers down and make the intersection safer. She’d like to see stop signs, a traffic signal or speed bumps installed.

"I hope they do help me," she said. "I don’t need nobody on top of me with an automobile."

FOX 13 is reaching out to FDOT, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County for comment. We’ll update this story when we hear back.