28-05-2025
Ruskin community mourns family of 4 killed in crash
RUSKIN, Fla. (WFLA) — Community members in Ruskin mourned the loss of a family of four who were killed in a car crash Sunday night.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, Hillsborough County deputies said it does not appear to be the result of reckless driving.
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The crash is bringing attention to the dangerous intersection. Neighbors said it's time to turn this pain into purpose.
They're called on Hillsborough County for safety changes along West Shell Point Road in Ruskin to prevent future tragedies.
Surveillance video showed a car blowing through an intersection, into Julie Coleman's home, and flipping over multiple times. The car came to a final stop when it slammed into a neighbor's car on Sunday night off West Shell Point Road. 'I'm really sad I upset the neighbors because they didn't know if anyone of those people on the ground were us,' Coleman have identified the family of four inside the car who were killed.
The family was identified as 53-year-old Richard Wilson, his wife 52-year-old Cynthia Wilson, and her two children, 19-year-old James Janus and 20-year-old Shannon Janus.
In a social media post, Cynthia wrote she and her family spent Sunday at Universal Studios.'I have goosebumps,' Colen said 'It's so good that we weren't in here.'Coleman said this is not the first time something like this has happened.'Enough is enough,' she said. 'Four people are dead, and they died horrifically.'She and her neighbor, Mark Larson, have long called on Hillsborough County to make safety improvements.'Public works and the county commissioners need to get involved,' Larson said. 'I don't know what else to say. We've tried and tried and tried.'A Hillsborough County spokesperson told 8 On Your Side that the county 'has done studies at this intersection in the past at the request of residents including a study earlier this year.'
The speed study found that the average speed on 32nd Street Northwest was 38 mph (posted speed: 30 mph), and on West Shell Point Road, it was 43 mph (posted speed: 45 mph).
These results placed both roads on the 85th percentile, 12 MPH or more, meaning that there is not an excessive speeding issue in the area. Additionally, a crash report review showed three crashes within the last five years.
'Personal property is inconsequential to the loss of four lives,' Larson said. 'We've made this evident to the county. We've told them something is going to happen. What's it going to take? It happened last night.'
'Public Works is waiting for the official report about the crash from Memorial Day Weekend from Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to potentially add to the most recent report,' the spokesperson the community mourns the loss of this family, Coleman's home has been deemed uninhabitable.'We love it here,' Coleman said. 'We've made so many good friends, but we're out of here.'
Deputies said there's no indication of criminal activity.
8 On Your Side has asked Hillsborough County for the medical examiner's reports once they become available.
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