Accident

Published on: March 16, 2026

Key West Adopts Safety Action Plan to Eliminate Traffic Deaths. What to Know.

Following the deaths of at least 29 people on Key West and Stock Island streets from 2018 to 2024, the Key West City Commission adopted a comprehensive Safety Action Plan, according to reporting from Keys News.

The plan — which was voted on last week and has been developed by city staff in collaboration with the University of Florida over the last year — aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2035. In it, officials plan to crackdown on illegal e-motos on city streets congested with tourists, cyclists and other pedestrians. While sometimes marketed as e-bikes — micromobility devices with their own host of issues that have gained traction over the last decade — e-motos have no pedals, use throttle-only motors, and can reach speeds from 40 to 70 mph.

Data presented paints a sobering reality — while bicyclists and pedestrians only account for about 8% of total crashes in the city they also account for 26% of all fatalities and serious injuries related to crashes. From 2018 to 2024, officials at the University of Florida found that there were just shy of 300 crashes resulting in a fatality or serious injury in Key west. Officials were also able to identify areas and intersections that were a part of this “high injury network.”

Published on: February 20, 2026

‘One of Our Own:’ Community Bands Together Following Tragic Monroe County Blaze.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Florida Keys family that narrowly escaped a Jan. 19 fire and lost their home in the blaze is being bolstered by their community.

“We’re just glad we were there and we and all the other neighbors did what anyone would,” one neighbor, also a principal at a local school, told reporters with Keys Weekly.

The neighbor was with two others when they noticed the smoke at around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19. Since it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, many schools and offices were closed for the holiday.

Published on: November 26, 2025

Man Dies Following Dive at Florida Keys Shipwreck. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 50-year-old man has died after losing consciousness following a scuba dive at a Key West shipwreck over the weekend, according to local media.

Nicholas James Strazzulla, a certified diving instructor of Inverness, Florida, lost consciousness following the 150-to-200-foot dive to the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.

He was brought back to the dive boat and others in the group he was with performed CPR on him, officials told local media. He died at the Lower Keys Medical Center.

Published on: November 24, 2025

Ever-Evolving Shifts in E-Bike Regulations Leave Floridians with Questions. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

As e-bike regulations in Florida continue to evolve, riders face a patchwork of questions concerning liability and fault, especially in the Florida Keys.

Thanks to the provisions already in effect with Senate Bill 462, which took effect in July 2025, local governments may create minimum age limits, among other regulations. This allows every city to create their own standards based on their local traffic and safety concerns, including setting a minimum age limit. But, as legislators consider House Bill 243, which aims to establish statewide regulations, the rules could shift once more.

HB 243 is still under review, however, if it passes in its current form, it could go into effect by July 1, 2027. HB 243 would prohibit certain high-powered “electric motorcycles” from being operated by people under 16 and would require a license to operate Class 3 e-bikes.

Published on: January 24, 2025

Key West Firefighters Complete Additional Training as Fires Continue to Rage in California. How Leesfield & Partners is Providing Aid.

By Leesfield & Partners

Amid horrific wildfires that have ravaged homes, wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Californians, Key West firefighters have completed additional training to improve their emergency response.

Firefighters in Key West recently completed their Florida Urban Search and Rescue Confined Space Technical Rescue training course, a lesson that teaches how to safely and effectively get people out of complicated fire situations. The course focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment, training levels of personnel and the availability of external resources.

Providing Aid