TAMPA, Fla. — As the sun starts to set on Halloween night, many kids are ready to venture out for trick-or-treating. But the type of scare on Tampa Bay streets this year is different.
“Well, in the emergency department, we have seen quite a few injuries of some teenagers and younger kids, jumping over piles of debris, jumping over mud puddles, and either slipping or falling, breaking bones, hitting their head or getting some nice big cuts that require stitches," said Dr. Danielle Mercurio, an ER doctor at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Dr. Mercurio said kids need to avoid this, and to do that, going around the debris is key.
“The debris can be blocking sidewalks and normally safe areas to walk," she said. "Then, of course, people trying to navigate driving around debris, potentially not looking out for your children."
Parents may want to take Oct. 30 to plan their route. Dr. Mercurio said that will help families avoid debris and dark streets.
“Even if your child is standing in a poorly lit area, they can have some glow-in-the-dark accessories or a necklace or even some reflective tape and things like that just to make sure they’re safe," she said.
She added that traveling in large groups can help make you and your kids more visible. Also, make sure your child can see through their costume and that it’s not too long, which could cause them to trip and fall.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
