LAURIE: A WOMAN PLANS TO SUE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
CLAIMING A POLE CREATED A
DAIFRMER ZONE.
CALVIN: THOSE ORANGE POLES
ARE SUPPOSED TO SEPARATE THE
EXPRESS LANES FROM THE GENERAL
PURPOSE LANES, BUT MANY ARE
IGNORING AND EVEN DRIVING RIGHT
OVER THEM.
AND THE END RESULTS HAVE BEEN
DEADLY.
EVEN TROOPERS WHO ARE SUPPOSED
TO ENFORCE THE LAW SAY IT'S A
HUGE PROBLEM HERE.
SO TONIGHT LOCAL 10
INVESTIGATOR HITS THE HIGH ROAD.
A VERY LARGE SUV CROSSED
OVER THOSE LITTLE ORANGE CONE
THINGS RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY CAR.
REPORTER: THESE ORANGE
PLASTIC POLES DID ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING TO STOP ANOTHER DRIVER
FROM SIMPLY DIVING OUT OF THE
EXPRESS LANES RIGHT INTO THE
PATH OF STEPHANIE BLOSSOM.
I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES.
I COULD SORT OF FEEL THE CAR
SPINNING OUT AND IT WAS JUST
PURE TERROR.
REPORTER: WATCH THE DRIVER
OF THIS WHITE LINCOLN CUT
THROUGH THE GAP OF MISSING
PLASTIC POLLS RIGHT INTO THE
PATH OF THE ONCOMING SUV AND
THEN THERE IS THIS VIDEO CAUGHT
ON DASH CAM SHOWING WHAT HAS
HAPPENED OVER AND OVER.
THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS
TROOPERS HAVE RESPONDED TO
12,192 CRASHES IN THE EXPRESS
LANES IN MIAMIDADE COUNTY IN
THE PAST 3 YEARS.
REPORTER: IT JUST HAPPENS IN
I SPLIT SECOND.
REPORTER: SHE WAS RIDING HER
HARLEY WHEN A DRIVER DOVE INTO
THE EXPRESS LANES RIGHT ACROSS
THE ORANGE POLES RIGHT INTO HER.
MY FOOT CRACKED TO THE SIDE.
REPORTER: SHE LOST HER LEG
IN THE CRASH.
SHE SAYS THE POLES NEED TO BE
REMOVED.
THEY ARE A FALSE SENSE OF
SECURITY.
I THINK THAT THERE SHOULDN'T
REALLY BE AN EXPRESS LANE.
THERE'S THIS GREED FOR MONEY ON
THE HIGHWAYS.
THAT DEFINITELY IS A PROBLEM.
REPORTER: SAYS TROOPER JOE
SANCHEZ WITHIN MINUTES OF
RIDING WITH HIM SPOTTING LANE
DIVERS.
THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.
I'M NOT GOING TO STOP THEM.
MY VEHICLE WILL BE HALFWAY IN
THE LANE.
REPORTER: YOU SEE WHEN THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION RECONFIGURED
I95 TO ADD THE EXPRESS LANES,
THEY SHRUNK THE SHOULDER.
SO TROOPER SANCHEZ HAD TO
FOLLOW THE DRIVER OF THIS CAMRY
FOR MILES TO TRY TO FIND A SAFE
PLACE TO STOP HIM.
REGULAR TRAFFIC STOP ON HERE
FOR ME AND EVERY OTHER OFFICER,
IN MY OPINION, I THINK, IS
DANGEROUS.
THE REASON WHY I STOPPED
YOU, YOU CAN'T CUT IN THE
EXPRESS LANES.
REPORTER: EVEN AFTER THE
TRAFFIC STOPPED SANCHEZ IS
UNEASY.
TAKE A LOOK AT HOW CLOSE ITS
PATROL CAR IS TO TRAFFIC.
I'M IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION
HERE.
YOU SPOKE WITH THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
REPORTER: THE ATTORNEY
REPRESENTS STEPHANIE BLOSSOM.
HE SAYS A MILLION DOLLARS A
YEAR IS SPENT REPLACING DAMAGED
AND MISSING PLASTIC POLLS.
CARE HAS CREATED AN ONLINE
PETITION CALLING FOR STATE
LAWMAKERS TO FIX THE EXPRESS
LANES.
WELL, HE CREATED A DANGEROUS
CONDITION WHEN HE PUT IN THESE
POLLS SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT
PEOPLE ARE DIVING IN AND OUT OF
THE EXPRESS LANE.
IS D.O.T. SURPRISED AT THE
PEOPLE ABUSING IT OR
YES, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE SURPRISED.
REPORTER: THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HAS HIRED MORE TROOPERS TO DEAL
WITH BAD BEHAVIOR IN THE
EXPRESS LANES, BUT BERGER SAYS
THERE'S NO ROOM FOR A PERMANENT
WALL.
DO YOU BELIEVE AT ALL THAT
SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED TO MAKE
THE EXPRESS LANES?
NO.
REPORTER: YOU BELIEVE IT'S A
SAFE ENVIRONMENT?
YES, IF PEOPLE OBEY THE LAW
AND DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT, THEN
IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE.
REPORTER: BACK OUT ON THE
ROAD?
I LIKE TO RIDE EXACTLY WHERE
I'M AT IN CASE SOMEONE TRIES TO
CUT IN.
REPORTER: TROOPER SANCHEZ
SAYS YOU CAN DO WHAT HE DOES.
HE NEVER DRIVES NEXT TO THE
PLASTIC POLES.
ON I95, JEFF, LOCAL 10 NEWS.
CALVIN: THE EXPRESS LANES
GENERATED MORE THAN 100 MILLION
DOLLARS IN REVENUE.
THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS
THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN 5 DEADLY
CRASHES.
THE STATE TRANSPORTATION
DEPARTMENT CLAIMS CONTRACTORS
REPLACE MISSING POLES ONCE A
WEEK ON I95 AND WHEN THERE ARE
GAPS OF 5 OR MORE THE MISSING