ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two weeks after drivers say their vehicles were damaged by concrete during a Florida Department of Transportation repaving project on Tyrone Boulevard, they're still waiting for a full resolution.
Carissa Tatum's white Mercedes remains partly covered in concrete from the incident that occurred late on a Tuesday night as she drove home on Tyrone Boulevard near St. Petersburg.
"Out of nowhere," Tatum recalled in a previous interview. "I honestly just thought it was rain of sorts, and that's why I turned my windshield wiper on."
By the next day, she realized it wasn't rain but concrete that had hardened all over her car. When she tried to scrub it off, she scratched her hood and had to stop.
Two weeks later, her frustration hasn't subsided.
"I'm very upset that I haven't gotten anywhere or any resolution," Tatum said.
The concrete isn't just on the surface of her car.
“This is more than superficial slurry all in my car. It’s my radiators. It’s in a lot of the mechanical aspects of my car,” she said.
The incident occurred on the stretch of Tyrone Boulevard near Tyrone Square Mall, where the FDOT is repaving three miles of roadway. Contractor Gosalia Concrete is doing the work.
When Tampa Bay 28 observed the construction site two weeks ago, large chunks of dried concrete were visible in the grass of the public right-of-way and along the curb of Tyrone Boulevard. A PSTA bus stop along the boulevard was splattered with dried concrete, along with a waste bin. Two pieces of Gosalia Concrete machinery, which were parked nearby, were partially covered in the same material.
After Tampa Bay 28 started pushing for answers, Tatum received an email from Gosalia Concrete offering to detail her car for free. However, she says her vehicle needs more than a cleaning.
She took her car to two collision shops in Pinellas County to get estimates. One estimate she received indicates her car could have $26,000 in damage.
Tatum isn't the only driver affected. Adam Ratcliff has similar concerns about his truck, which he says was also covered in concrete on Tyrone Boulevard.
"When I drove through, it was a — almost a monsoon of concrete just coming over the truck, and since I am in construction, I knew exactly what it was," Ratcliff said.
According to Ratcliff, the concrete company hired someone to clean his truck, but he had already spent $750 out of pocket on detailing. He wants reimbursement plus help checking for internal mechanical damage.
"There is some concrete residue under the motor, all in the suspension and everything like that," Ratcliff said. "You can just definitely tell it's not the same," Ratcliff said.
Both Ratcliff and Tatum are waiting for responses from Gosalia Concrete.
Kris Carson, an FDOT spokesperson, previously told Tampa Bay 28 that the agency has been in contact with the contractor and is reaching out to drivers who reported concerns. According to Carson, drivers who think they were affected are encouraged to contact the contractor directly. Gosalia Concrete can be reached by calling (813) 443-0984 or emailing balvarado@gosaliaco.com.
"This shouldn't happen. This should not have happened," Tatum said.
Both she and Ratcliff want their vehicles restored to their original conditions.
The area of Tyrone Boulevard where the incident occurred has been cleaned up since the original story aired. Still, the concrete company has not responded to Tampa Bay 28’s multiple requests for comment.
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