My fiancé Terry Wheaton Jr., a truly special man, lost his life at only 26 years old in an accident that could have been prevented. Our 3 year old daughter has been robbed of growing up with him by her side and having that bond. He was struck by a careless driver who ran a red light and crashed into him as he entered an intersection. This personal tragedy is unfortunately not unique; it is part of a larger issue plaguing the state of Florida - reckless disregard for traffic laws, particularly running red lights. First Coast News article reporting the crash.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in 2019 alone, 846 people were killed in crashes that involved red-light running across the United States. A significant portion of these fatalities occurred in Florida, which has consistently ranked among the top states for such accidents.

The current penalties for running red lights are not enough to deter this dangerous behavior, especially when a life is taken away. In my fiancé’s case, May 31st 2024 there was a court hearing for the person responsible and he essentially got off scott free. As the loved ones in these cases it is a slap in the face. Even if it wasn’t intentional, it is absurd that this persons actions are the reason a man is no longer here and all he got was a suspended license for 1 year, driving school (12 hours), a fine (that he is allowed 3 months and/or a payment plan to pay) and a citation for running a red light. No jail time sentenced or even house arrest, it also was not classified as criminal or reckless in the eyes of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) even though this person 1. ran a red light and killed somebody and 2. he was going 56-67mph in a 45mph zone (per the police report). JSO did not even ticket him for the speeding, let alone ‘reckless’ driving. He was only ticketed for running the red light. With this not being classified as criminal, he does not have to disclose this to any future school or career opportunities as this individual is 18 years old.

Therefore, we are calling on our legislators to reform these laws and implement harsher penalties. We believe that by doing so, we can prevent future tragedies like ours from happening again.

We urge you to join us in this fight for safer roads and more strict traffic law enforcement in Florida. Your signature can help save lives and prevent other families from experiencing the heartache we have endured due to this senseless act of recklessness on our roads.

Please sign this petition today in honor of Terry and all of the others taken away from us too soon – let's make our streets safer together.