RUSKIN, Fla. — At Gannon University, excitement fills the room as 28 physical therapy students prepare for graduation, only hours away from the moment they will walk across the stage. Yet, one chair remains vacant.

“She always made friends. She was a loyal friend. She was ambitious,” said Stewart Payne.

This seat belonged to Jaida Payne, who tragically lost her life in January 2023 after her vehicle collided with a guardrail on I-75 at the I-4 junction. Her father discovered the guardrail had sustained previous damage and had been left unsecured.

“It’s been rough,” her father said.

Through a records inquiry, it was uncovered that the guardrail had been involved in an earlier accident weeks before Jaida’s. During this time, repairs were underway. The state’s contractor had requested more time to complete the guardrail’s repairs, assuring completion by January 6. Unfortunately, Jaida’s accident occurred on January 5. Images we obtained revealed that the guardrail was merely shielded by a few barrels, providing no real protection.

“They needed to install something that could actually do something in the event someone went off the road. What they left instead were a few blunt ends. Blunt ends are obviously very dangerous,” engineer Kevin Schrum told us back in 2023.

For the Payne family, grief turned into action.

“We’ve had a legal situation regarding the accident. That is resolved. But now we’re moving on to try to effect change,” Payne said.

That change includes pressing the state to track damaged guardrails more efficiently, enforce quicker, safer repairs and require contractors to keep parts in stock for emergency fixes.

“Contractors should have adequate inventory. As part of the contract, they should be required to maintain sufficient supplies for rapid repair,” Payne said.

He sent letters to every state senator on Florida’s Transportation Committee about the changes he’d like to see made.

“I think there is an awareness, but I don’t think they realize how bad the guardrail situation really is,” Payne said. 

While they push for change out on the roads, the Paynes brought a message to her classmates at Gannon University in hopes it would help with the change happening in their lives.

“We want to help you all with your licensing exam and inside the envelopes there are checks to cover the fees for your licensing exam. Good luck to you all,” Jaida’s parents told the students.

Gannon University honored Jaida’s memory with a degree in memoriam given to her parents.

We reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation regarding the changes the Payne family is asking for, and as of this report, we have not received a response.

You can watch the Emmy-award-winning series “Unguarded” streaming on 10 Tampa Bay+. Following our investigation, FDOT told us one-third of guardrails in Florida would be repaired or replaced by December 2023.