KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Turning out of a business parking lot and onto a busy Osceola County street is becoming dangerous for Janet Gonzalez and her employees.

Gonzalez and her husband own AJ’s Air, an air condition company based off Clay Street, near Pershing Street, in Kissimmee.

“I’ve heard quite a few accidents occur over the years and seen quite a few,” Gonzalez said.

Unfortunately, one of her employees was the victim of a crash last year.

“I was devastated, and I stopped what I was doing, and I ran immediately to her to find out to make sure she was ok,” recalls Gonzalez.

Crystal Luna says she tried to pull out of the parking lot and onto Clay Street when she was hit by a vehicle.

“A car was speeding down the road and hit me and that car spun out and hit other individuals that were on their way home,” said Luna.

Luna is ok today, but for Gonzalez, that was the final straw.

During rush hour, traffic backs up on westbound Clay Street, making it challenging to see eastbound traffic for those trying to turn out of the business’ parking lot.

“Most days when I leave I need to turn left, and when the traffic is backed up, it makes it difficult to see oncoming traffic,” Gonzalez said.

Sometimes she just goes for it, even if she can’t see oncoming traffic.

“I’m just praying that I make it through to the other side,” she said.

Gonzalez wants something to be done. She has suggested speed bumps, a stop sign and she even offered to pay for a mirror to see on-coming traffic.

But Osceola County Transportation and Transit Engineer Henry Salinas says Clay Street is a major collector road, with about 12,000 vehicles a day and speed bumps and a stop sign are not warranted near this business parking lot.

“The vehicular volumes exiting this driveway and the crash history at the intersection do not meet the minimum criteria required in the warrant. Therefore, the installation of multi-way stop signs is not justified,” Salinas said in a statement. 

The county also won’t allow for the installation of a mirror to help Gonzalez and others see eastbound drivers.

“I’m frustrated. I’ve considered moving my business, but it’s easier said than done,” Gonzalez said.

Osceola County did install a “Do Not Block Intersection” sign for westbound drivers, but Gonzalez says that doesn’t help. Her concern is with on-coming eastbound drivers.

So for the time being, she’s adjusting employees’ schedules to avoid dangerous driving conditions.

“Every day is a challenge so we have even begun leaving the office a little bit earlier each day just to avoid that which is a huge inconvenience for us,” Gonzalez said.

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