THE VILLAGES, FL – A driver was sent to the hospital following a collision at an intersection just southeast of The Villages on Saturday morning.
According to a report by Villages-News, the crash occurred near the intersection of Micro Racetrack Road and County Road 466A at about 11:45 a.m.
Few details about the crash are available at this time. Photos from the scene show a silver sedan with serious front and rear-end damages blocking the intersection.
SPRING HILL, FL – A man was killed early this morning when his vehicle slammed into a power pole in northeast Spring Hill.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the 25-year-old driver lost control of his vehilce on Elgin Boulevard near Fenian Drive at about 6:23 a.m.
Police say the man was unable to negotiate the curve, causing his SUV to leave the roadway and crash into the pole.
WESLEY CHAPEL, FL – A Road Ranger was rushed to the hospital after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on I-75 this morning.
According to Fox 13, the ranger was assisting troopers at the scene of a prior accident near Overpass Road when a Toyota sedan veered into the blocked lanes and hit the man.
The unidentified victim was sent to the hospital with serious injuries.
ALACHUA CO., FL – Two people were sent to the hospital following a multi-vehicle crash that left one victim pinned inside their vehicle near Gainesville last night.
According to CBS 4, the two-vehicle crash occurred along SR-26 just outside of Gainesville.
ACFR used the Jaws of Life to extricate one driver from their vehicle. The unidentified individual was rushed to UF Health as a trauma alert.
SPRING HILL, FL – A woman and her infant son were killed in a four-vehicle crash in Spring Hill, WFLA reports.
The crash took place some time before noon in the northbound lanes of US-19 near the intersection with Berkeley Manor Boulevard.
Police say a 35-year-old woman from Weeki Wachee and her 6-month-old son suffered fatal injuries in the wreck.
BROOKSVILLE, FL – A collision claimed the life of at least one person near the Church of God of Prophecy in Brooksville early Wednesday morning.
According to WFLA, the crash occurred in the 2400 block of Dan Brown Hill Road near Hayman Road shortly after midnight.
Little information about the cause of the crash, or the total number of vehicles involved, is available at this time.
According to projections from AAA, there will be nearly 4 million more people travelling on U.S. roadways this Thanksgiving (2021) compared to last year. This means that if you are planning a road trip that you should expect to see a lot more vehicles sharing the roads and a surge in traffic.
Experts believe that open U.S. borders combined with more people being vaccinated from COVID19 and the long holiday weekend means more people hitting the roads this year. A November AAA report predicts that there will be 48.3 million people making a road trip this Thanksgiving.
While you should anticipate more congestion on the roads this year, you can best prepare yourself for a smooth Thanksgiving journey by leaving early. You can expect delays, so it is best to leave in the morning. The best time to depart is after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, but before 11 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and before noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Car accidents are a big concern this time of year, especially with so many travelers on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns all motorists to eliminate any risky driving behaviors that have become more common since the pandemic began, such as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol or without wearing a seat belt.
The NHTSA has estimated that 20,160 people have died in car accidents for the first half of 2021, which is an increase of 18% from 2020.
On a similar note, Thanksgiving weekend has shown a trend of more motor drunk driving motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. The NHTSA shows that around 800 deaths were caused by drunk drivers over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend from 2015-2019.
Wherever you are this holiday weekend, our Florida Car Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want you to stay safe and get to your destinations safely. Not all traffic is equal, so here is a list of the cities with the worst traffic on the day before Thanksgiving and the worst times to travel:
Atlanta: The worst time to travel is between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and Interstate 85 South from Clairmont Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is anticipated to have the most congestion.
Boston: Steer clear of Interstate 93 North from Quincy Market to Massachusetts Route 28 between 1 and 3 p.m.
Chicago: Avoid Interstate 290 West from Morgan Street to Wolfe Road from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m.
Detroit: The worst travel times are from 2-4 p.m. on Interstate 96 West from 6 Mile Road to Walled Lake.
Houston: Avoid Interstate 10 West from Sjolander Road to Texas State Highway 330 from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m.
Los Angeles: Stay away from Interstate 5 South from Colorado Street to Florence Avenue between 3:45 and 5:45 p.m.
New York: Keep away from Interstate 495 East from Borden Avenue to Little Neck Parkway from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco: From 4-6 p.m. Interstate 80 East from Interstate 580 to San Pablo Dam Road is expected to be heavily congested.
Seattle: From 4-6 p.m. Interstate 5 South from Washington State Route 18 to Washington State Route 7 is expected to be heavily congested.
Washington, D.C.: From 2-4 p.m. avoid Interstate 95 South from Interstate 395 to Virginia State Route 123.
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With back to school season here it is important to address the driving challenges this brings, such as more congestion near schools and in neighborhoods, more yellow school buses on the roadways, more kids and parents walking, and just the added need to exercise a bit more caution. New teen drivers hitting the road to drive themselves to school are an additional safety hazard. Motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teens. The CDC estimates that 2,400 teens in the United States between the ages of 13 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 and another 258,000 needed to be treated for their injuries at the emergency room.
Special attention this time of year is very necessary to prevent simple and avoidable accidents. Here are a few safety reminders from our Florida Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton to keep you and your loved ones get safely back to school.
School Buses
For most Americans, Memorial Day Weekend is a chance to enjoy a three-day weekend and celebrate the people that have fought for our freedom and this country. Many use this time to relax and recharge by hosting backyard barbecues, taking vacations, and spending time with loved ones. With the Covid-19 vaccine being available to most, many have already had at least one dose of the vaccine and are feeling more comfortable with places reopening and resuming some type of normalcy. However, Memorial Day Weekend is considered a dangerous holiday for those travelling on U.S. roadways as many motorists engage in irresponsible and reckless behavior.
Estimates for Memorial Day 2021
Memorial Day is associated with many deaths and injuries from unnecessary accidents. This year is no different. In fact, the National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that we will see 415 deaths this Memorial Day holiday weekend and another 47,300 injuries from car accidents.
AAA Travel expects the U.S. to see a larger number of people travelling this year when compared to last year. More than 37 million people are anticipated to travel 50 or more miles from home from May 27 through May 31, which is a 60% jump from last year.
Planning to Travel this Memorial Day Weekend? Follow these Tips
How Can I Avoid a Collision this Memorial Day Weekend?
There are many safety precautions that you can take, which we have outlined below, but remember, you cannot control the actions and behaviors of other drivers. A few important tips for staying safe on the roads this holiday weekend include, but are not limited to:
What Do I Do If I Am Involved in a Car Crash Over Memorial Day Weekend? Continue reading
Even though 2020 brought us the novel coronavirus and placed the world on lockdown, the National Safety Council released a new estimate that 42,000 people were killed in car crashes and another 4.8 million were injured.
These numbers show an 8 percent increase from 2019, which happens to be the largest yearly increase in nearly a century. It should also be noted that the average number of miles driven dropped by 13 percent.
Experts believe that because less people were on the roads commuting to and from work resulted in more speeding, which ultimately resulted in more traffic fatalities. The irony is that congested traffic from the daily commuters was actually keeping people safer.
Many state leaders are calling this a U.S. public health crisis and looking to make a change, Laura Friedman, a California Assembly member, has introduced a bill for 2021 to reduce speed limits as a way to combat the growing number of traffic deaths.
It seems this has been a growing problem over the past 10 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic managed to place a spotlight on it. Lawmakers from states coast to coast are starting to introduce various bills aimed at lowering speed limits, promoting pedestrian/bike safety, and setting up speed camera programs.
The proposals show various perspectives on how to better manage traffic. Traffic engineers along with transportation safety advocates are also looking at designing roads that will help motorists get to where they are going more safely as opposed to faster.
It is unknown to what extent these new bills will take effect. Certain states are looking at letting cities and counties have more control over their speed limits and other states like Florida, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island want to let their communities use speed cameras.
According to the National Safety Council, the large surge in fatalities started showing quickly after lockdown orders went into effect for the country.
California said that citations issued for speeding over 100 miles per hour almost doubled during 2020 reaching a whopping 31,600.
While states want to introduce new protocols to keep everyone safe, lawmakers do realize it is a delicate balance between protecting communities and over policing them. Wealthier communities usually have more walkable sidewalks and wider streets, while lower-income areas are located by freeways. Placing cameras on mostly streets in low-income areas could mean that the speed programs are not entirely fair, even though speed cameras do not discriminate by skin color.
Traditional policing on speeding has not been successful in the past, so lawmakers are still working out the kinks on what should be done to make roads safer across America.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, facilities involving pedestrians like runners, bikers, walkers, and others trying to remain active have also increased. Even though many Americans will be heading back to work in the near future, many will remain working from home so it is now more important than ever to pay attention to your surroundings regardless of the time of day. You want to limit the number of distractions in your car, put your phone down, pay attention to speed limits, and keep your eyes on the road at all times. Everyone must do their part to keep our communities safe.
What Are Common Causes of Fatal Car Accidents in Florida?
According to the Department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida’s car accidents are usually caused by:
Contact Our Florida Car Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton
Regardless of the circumstances leading up to your motor vehicle collision, if you want to protect your legal rights and pursue justified compensation for your losses then you need to seek legal help from our Florida Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton. As skilled personal injury trial attorneys, we have a deep understanding on how to prove liability in auto accident cases and make sure our clients’ rights are protected to the fullest extent of the law. Continue reading
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