ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s called the deadliest mile in Central Florida and now even more changes are coming to Orange Blossom Trail, south of I-4.

Carmen Molina lost her son, Victor Perez, when he was hit and killed on Orange Blossom Trail in January 2019.

“I was watching the news, and that’s when I saw his shoes,” said Molina. “I recognized his shoes and I started screaming around the house. My husband was off that day and I told him, ‘Victor is dead, I saw his shoes on the news.’”

Between 2012 and 2021, there were 17 pedestrian deaths on Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and I-4.

Florida Highway Patrol said Victor was walking outside of the crosswalk when he was hit.

“Probably he was trying to cross to get the bus to come home, but he never made it,” said Molina.

Jaywalking is a serious problem on OBT. So much so, that in 2020, officials installed three Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons on Orange Blossom Trail. The beacons act like traffic signals, alerting drivers when to stop at mid-block crossings.

But we noticed plenty of people still not using them. FDOT says if the crossings are too far apart, then people won’t use them. So the state is going to install three more this year along Orange Blossom Trail.

Construction is just starting.

FDOT says pedestrians should be able to cross safely at the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons, often in less time than waiting for a clearing in traffic.

But to further persuade people from jaywalking, a fence is also going to be installed in the median, forcing pedestrians to use the signalized crosswalks. Molina hopes the changes to Orange Blossom Trail spare others of the heartbreak and loss that she’s had to endure.

“I hope they do something quick,” she said.

The FDOT plan also includes reducing the speed limit in the area to 30 miles per hour, and upgrading pedestrian lighting.

The entire $5.9 million project is expected to be wrapped up by next spring.