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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThis follows a lawsuit filed against the woman, Joy Hitchcock, by her homeowners\u2019 association, Morgan Creek Preserve Residents Association, which alleges the action violates the HOA\u2019s Declaration of Restrictive Covenants and is a safety hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hitchcock lives in the Morgan Creek Preserve subdivision off West Pipkin Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWest Pipkin is extremely dangerous. We\u2019ve had a lot of fatalities here in Lakeland, especially with pedestrians and students. People go around 60 miles per hour on this road,\u201d said Hitchcock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In December 2023, Jaxon Crabtree, 15, was killed after being hit by a school bus while crossing West Pipkin Road on a bicycle on his way to school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hitchcock said the bus was coming to pick up her daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it was delayed, she said she drove by the crash and saw a bystander performing life-saving efforts on Crabtree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll three of us saw Jaxon right after the accident and all three forever hold a special place in our heart because of that,\u201d said Hitchcock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, Hitchcock said she and other parents have idled at the entrance to Morgan Creek Preserve to drop off and pick up their kids at the bus stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent months, the developer-controlled HOA and its towing provider, Black Sheep Towing, have told them to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hitchcock refused, which resulted in a lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomething sparked something inside of me I guess when I saw Jaxon\u2019s accident,\u201d said Hitchcock. \u201cYou go into protection mode for your kids. There\u2019s some things you can brush off but this isn\u2019t one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe parks on the roadway, creating dangerous situations. She parks, blocking sidewalks which also blocks pedestrian traffic,\u201d said Dan Pilka, an attorney for the HOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pilka filed a motion for a temporary injunction to prohibit Hitchcock from idling in the entranceway while the case plays out, citing near-miss collisions and complaints from residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe made available the parking in the pool area, walk over safely, get your children, and bring them back. That\u2019s safe too. That\u2019s safer,\u201d said Pilka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Randy Stepp, the owner of Black Sheep Towing, testified his company monitors for violations and tows vehicles and said the parking situation creates a danger to residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to testimony during an emergency injunction hearing on Monday, a tow operator, Jonathan Jones, said many parents were still parking in the entranceway alongside Hitchcock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaxon Crabtree\u2019s parents attended the hearing in court Monday in support of Hitchcock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just felt compelled to be here to remind the court and whomever that the children\u2019s safety should be paramount in this matter,\u201d said Jason Crabtree, Jaxon Crabtree\u2019s father. \u201cIt\u2019s dumbfounding to me that it\u2019s not, that we\u2019re trying to restrict our parents from keeping our children safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monday afternoon, the judge granted the plaintiff\u2019s temporary injunction which means Hitchcock can no longer idle in the area between West Pipkin Road and the security gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The media spoke with the developer, Brian Fraser, who did not attend the hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said safety is their \u201cfirst and foremost concern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is seeking for Hitchcock to stop parking at the entranceway and pay the legal fees connected to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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