The intersection of U.S. 301 and St. Francis Lane in Thonotosassa worried employees at the Everyday Blessings group home years before Wednesday's fatal crash involving a dump truck striking a pedestrian.

"It's frustrating. I tell all visitors to come down 301 cautious and not get on 301 where they can," said Nick Keuler, the home's director of residential services.

Florida Highway Patrol said a school bus was stopped at the intersection shortly after 7:00 AM Wednesday. Damian Wellington, 25, stopped behind it. His car stalled, and he got out to push when he was hit by a dump truck.

The truck also hit a van with students from Everyday Blessings inside. Keuler said those students are okay.  

"My heart sunk, it really did. It brought back a lot of memories," said Carolyn Allen, residential manager with Everyday Blessings.

Allen says she was seven or eight months pregnant when she was involved in a crash at the intersection in 2015.

"I was actually turning onto St. Francis Lane and a car behind me slammed on brakes, and the car behind him jumped a ditch and hit me exactly where the kids are standing for the bus stop," Allen said.

Keuler and Allen said problems they've noticed at the intersection include drivers not slowing down to stop in time to avoid hitting cars that are stopped or turning. They say another issue is drivers who try to pass a long line of cars by speeding up and crossing into the next lane.

"We've asked the school board not to pick up the children at that location, but to come down the road. We had a bus stop built on our campus," Keuler said.

He said that bus stop was used for six months at most several years ago before the district stopped sending buses down to it. According to Keuler, the district listed adding too much time to the bus route and potential damage to buses from the home's low-hanging trees as reasons for the change.

"The third thing was that the school buses were not allowed to back up," he said. "Even though we offered to put in a circular driveway, they said no."

A spokesperson for Hillsborough Schools said there's no district-approved stop on Everyday Blessings's campus. The campus is also private property, which the district does not go on because of liability issues.

The spokesperson also said when buses stop on a main road, they stop traffic, which allows students to cross safely.

Keuler and Allen said their fear is that traffic won't stop.

"When you see the lights, stop, slow down, be patient, because that could be someone's life," said Allen.

According to data from the Florida Highway Patrol, there have been 11 crashes at 301 and St. Francis since Jan. 1, 2011. Before Wednesday, none were listed as fatal.