Five killed in Martin County crashes over three days as officials increase safety measures

Five people have died in crashes across Martin County within three days, leading the sheriff's office to ramp up enforcement and urge drivers to prioritize safety ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The first crash occurred Saturday morning on Allapattah Road south of Martin Highway, where two people were killed, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Roughly 48 hours later, early Monday morning, officials said a third person died after crashing into the back of a semi-trailer at mile marker 136. Later that same day, both directions of the Florida Turnpike were shut down for several hours following a deadly crash in Palm City at mile marker 132, which claimed the lives of two more people. Captain Joseph Collazo of the sheriff’s office road patrol unit said, "We have definitely investigated quite a few of fatality, crash fatalities. More, obviously, one is too many." Collazo explained that the majority of crashes are caused by speeding, distracted driving, and road congestion. "We are working tirelessly to try to keep you guys safe. So just meet us in the middle. You know, have conversations with your young drivers. Put your phones down. Drive safe. Don't be in a rush. Getting somewhere two minutes faster is not going to matter," Collazo said. A Martin County law targeting "super speeders" has led to more than 51 arrests since enforcement began last year."We make lessons out of them because that's just, to me, there's no excuse for super speeders and going that fast on our roadways. It's not fair to our residents, our taxpayers, and we take that very seriously," Collazo said. Following the recent crashes and with the holiday approaching, the sheriff’s office is increasing enforcement measures. "Nobody wants a ticket. Nobody wants to get inconvenienced and pulled over, but we just ask everyone to slow down and be patient. We're all trying to get to somewhere, and it's not worth losing our lives over," Collazo said. The sheriff’s office is urging drivers to slow down, stay off their phones, wear seat belts and never drink and drive.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.