Sarasota County: Don't Mow Grass In Medians

Sarasota County Government is taking an unfortunate incident as an opportunity to remind residents not to mow grass in road medians or county right-of-ways.

in the median of Mauna Loa Boulevard while Rody trimmed grass that was overgrown and neglected by a county contractor for quite some time.

The county issued a statement Tuesday saying residents should not attempt to cut, trim or mow grass in road medians, even on a neighborhood street.

"Our hearts all go out to her family, her friends and her neighbors who knew her as someone who was proud of her neighborhood and took pride in making it attractive," Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson said in a statement. "I learned of the accident with sadness and a heavy heart."

Residents who are concerned about the appearance of roadways in their neighborhoods should contact the county about those concerns or to get mowing schedule information. 

Florida Highway Patrol was unsure what led to the crash and are investigating what driver Samantha Lax was doing before she struck Rody. Lax has two traffic tickets in Sarasota County on file — one in 2009 and one in 2010 and both times failed to show her registration, according to Sarasota County Clerk records.

The county mowing schedule with areas where mowing is being done is available on the county's website at www.scgov.net. Or call 941-861-5000.