Plantation installs new guardrail to protect home hit three times by cars
FORT LAUDERDALE - The city of Plantation has stepped up to help a family whose home was struck three times by cars.
On Friday, they performed a ribbon cutting on a new guardrail built to protect the home on the west side of Nob Hill Road, south of Cleary Boulevard near Central Park Elementary.
The city approved $98,000 to install the guardrail and said thanks to efficiencies by the contractor and the public works department, it only cost $59,000.
Homeowner Jonathan Phillips is hoping it will work.
The first crash happened in 2015 when police say a driver hopped the median on North Nob Hill Road. The SUV launched into the air and plowed through three yards.
"It crashed through their (neighbor's) fence, entered through our fence, continued on, took out the trees, the shrubs, took out a hot tub partially in the ground, part out of the ground. Continued on, took out the whole side of the house where my grandmother was moments before it happened," said Phillips.
A similar crash happened at 4 a.m. in 2017.
"The vehicle jumped the island on the other side of the road, crashed through our fence, plowed into the corner of our house taking out some of the stucco and drain," said Phillips.
After the crash, he reached out to Plantation city officials several times asking them to make changes. Eventually, he said, the city put up a guardrail. Phillips said it's prevented people from crossing lanes but didn't solve the problem.
In April 2021, another crash. He said it came from the southbound lane and took out a tree before hitting his home.
"The idea of not being able to go into a back room for fear of a car hitting your house, that's not acceptable," said Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal who made getting the new guardrail a priority when he got into office in November.
It will now act as a buffer between the road and Phillips' home.
"It's relieving. It's really nice to know there's something in between us and a vehicle now," he said.