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In Wake Of Fatal Car Accident, Gibsonton Man Says Apollo Beach Boulevard Mailboxes Are A Hazard

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By JOHN CEBALLOS | South Shore News & Tribune

Published: November 1, 2007

APOLLO BEACH - The father of the driver in a fatal Apollo Beach Boulevard car accident thinks a different type of mailbox could have prevented the death of the car's passenger.

Jay Romer of Gibsonton thinks mailboxes made out of dock pilings do not meet county code. Armed with 16 lightweight mailboxes Thursday, Romer set about giving away the new mailboxes to homes along the road that have mailboxes made of dock pilings. He also placed fliers with information about the potential obstruction.

On Oct. 25, a BMW driven by Brittany L. Romer, 25, of Gibsonton veered off the road while heading west, striking several mailbox posts, vaulting into the air and tumbling nearly 300 feet before coming to rest upside down. The car's passenger, Rachel M. Morris, 20, of Riverview was pronounced dead at the scene, while Romer suffered a broken collarbone.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said the accident is still under investigation.

"Instead of breaking away upon impact, the dock piling just bent at a 45-degree angle, which is what launched the car into the air," Romer said.

Though his first few attempts to persuade Apollo Beach Boulevard residents to switch mailboxes were unsuccessful, Romer remained undeterred.

"This is not me making an excuse for my daughter's crash," Romer said. "This is a serious issue that I want to help correct before there is another tragedy."

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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