Video above: Ruskin neighbors had long called for safety changes prior to crash that killed 4
RUSKIN, Fla. (WFLA) — A tragic accident that claimed the lives of four individuals in Ruskin on Sunday is not suspected to have been caused by reckless driving, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports.
The crash happened at around 8:15 p.m. near Shell Point Road West and 32nd Street Northwest.
Footage from security cameras in the vicinity captured the vehicle speeding through an intersection, careering across a lawn, hitting a tree, and then a house before eventually flipping over and halting. On Tuesday, HCSO stated that the incident “does not appear” to stem from “reckless driving.”
The Sheriff’s Office has also released the identities of those who perished in the crash. The driver was named as Richard Laurence Wilson, aged 53, while the passengers included his wife, 52-year-old Cynthia Jean Wilson, and her two grown children, 20-year-old Shannon Jade Janus and 19-year-old James Edward Janus.
Residents told 8 On Your Side that they’ve been calling on Hillsborough County to implement safety measures after speeding and other incidents in their neighborhood.
“There’s been deaths,” neighbor Julie Coleman said. “Four people have died, and all we need was some stop signs.”
Coleman’s home, which was undergoing renovations following last year’s hurricanes, was so heavily damaged during the crash that it is now considered unlivable. She and her husband are now forced to find a new place to live.
