HB 1619

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act for the relief of Lisa Freeman-Salazar and Andy
3	Salazar, individually and as co-personal representatives
4	of the estate of Alexandria Salazar, deceased minor child
5	of Lisa Freeman-Salazar and Andy Salazar, by the City of
6	Lake Worth; providing for an appropriation to compensate
7	them for the death of Alexandria Salazar due to the
8	negligence of the City of Lake Worth; providing for
9	attorney's fees and costs; providing an effective date.
10
11	WHEREAS, on October 26, 2004, Lisa Freeman-Salazar picked
12	up her 5-year-old daughter, Alexandria Salazar, from an after-
13	school program at South Grade Elementary School in Lake Worth,
14	Palm Beach County, Florida, and proceeded to travel to their
15	home, and
16	WHEREAS, Mrs. Salazar normally traveled home from
17	Alexandria's school on Sixth Avenue South, but on this
18	particular day a portion of Sixth Avenue South was closed due to
19	construction; thus, Mrs. Salazar took an unfamiliar, alternative
20	route home and traveled west on Seventh Avenue and approached
21	the intersection of South H Street which did not have any
22	traffic devices, stop signs, or painted stop bars on the road to
23	indicate which vehicle had the right-of-way, and
24	WHEREAS, because there was nothing to require Mrs. Salazar
25	to stop, she drove her vehicle through the intersection, and
26	Reyna Moreno, who was driving north on South H Street,
27	simultaneously entered the same intersection, and
28	WHEREAS, both vehicles collided with such force that each
29	vehicle was redirected by the impact of the collision, and
30	WHEREAS, Mrs. Salazar was able to get out of her vehicle
31	and remove her unconscious daughter from the vehicle before the
32	Lake Worth Fire Rescue Department was summoned, and
33	WHEREAS, the Lake Worth Police Department responded to the
34	collision and Alexandria Salazar was transported to Delray
35	Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly
36	thereafter, and
37	WHEREAS, the southwest corner of the intersection of
38	Seventh Avenue South and South H Street normally has a stop sign
39	of standard size, color, and height posted atop a metal pole;
40	however, at the time of the collision that claimed Alexandria
41	Salazar's life, the stop sign was missing, and
42	WHEREAS, the City of Lake Worth was aware that the stop
43	sign was missing from that intersection because two other cars
44	collided at that same intersection the day before Alexandria
45	Salazar's death, and the Lake Worth Police Department informed
46	the city's public works department that the missing stop sign
47	needed to be replaced, and
48	WHEREAS, as a result of a lawsuit filed following the
49	incident, the City of Lake Worth agreed to a settlement in the
50	amount of $500,000, of which $157,792 was paid within 20 days
51	after the date of the settlement agreement and $342,208 is to be
52	sought through the submission of a claim bill to the
53	Legislature, which the City of Lake Worth has agreed to support
54	and approve, NOW, THEREFORE,
55
56	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
57
58	Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this act
59	are found and declared to be true.
60	Section 2.  The City of Lake Worth is authorized and
61	directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise appropriated
62	and to draw a warrant payable to Lisa Freeman-Salazar and Andy
63	Salazar, individually and as co-personal representatives of the
64	estate of Alexandria Salazar, deceased minor child of Lisa
65	Freeman-Salazar and Andy Salazar, for the total amount of
66	$342,208, pursuant to the settlement agreement, which is
67	inclusive of costs and attorney's fees as limited in accordance
68	with s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, as compensation for the death
69	of Alexandria Salazar due to the negligence of the City of Lake
70	Worth.
71	Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.