On Thursday, Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Atlantic Ocean after devastating Florida, where it caused more than 3 million people to lose power, generated 150 tornadoes, and resulted in at least 12 deaths.
Hurricane Milton produced up to 18 inches of rain in certain regions, with Sarasota County experiencing the worst storm surge, which measured 8 to 10 feet.
While Hurricane Milton has passed out of Florida, flood warnings remain in certain areas.
During the Labor Day holiday weekend, there are typically more impaired drivers on the roadways, so you can expect to see more police officers patrolling the streets as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ramps up its annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.
The goal of the August 14–September 2 campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is to raise public awareness of the risks and repercussions of drunk driving.
According to the NHTSA, 32% of all traffic deaths in 2022 involved a drunk driver. Over the Labor Day holiday in 2022, 490 people died in traffic accidents.
NEW PORT RICHEY, FL – Police said a scooter rider died after being hit by a vehicle in New Port Richey, Pasco News Online reports.
The incident occurred July 12 in the vicinity of US Highway 19 and Gulf Drive shortly after 10 p.m. Investigators believe a person on a mobility scooter was crossing the intersection within the designated crosswalk and was hit by a vehicle headed south.
The victim, whose identity was not released, died after being taken to Bayonet Hospital. Police said the driver involved stayed at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. There was no evidence that impairment was a contributing factor.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol has released details of a fatal motorcycle accident that took place in Pasco County on Wednesday night.
According to WTSP, the incident happened along State Road 52 near Parkwood Street just before 8 p.m. The FHP said a motorcyclist on a Harley Davidson was headed west and tried to make a U-turn, but turned into the path of an eastbound SUV and was struck.
The motorcycle rider, a 41-year-old Port Richey man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV, a 60-year-old woman from Land O’Lakes, was not injured.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a motorcyclist died following a collision with a parked vehicle in Pasco County, according to a report by WFLA.
The crash took place March 16 on Evergreen Court near Cummer Road in the area of the Cypress Manor residential community near Dade City.
The FHP said a man was riding a Yamaha motorcycle southbound at about 11:52 a.m. when he lost control of the bike and collided with a Toyota RAV4. At the time the Toyota was not occupied and was parked near the residential community.
CITRUS COUNTY, FL – An accident involving a moped in Citrus County on Sunday night left one person dead and another injured, according to WTVT.
The crash happened on W. Norvell Bryant Highway near North Betty Point at about 7:30 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation found that a 21-year-old woman from Belleview was driving a vehicle eastbound and trying to pass the moped when she collided with it. The moped rider and a passenger fell off their vehicle, and the rider was then struck by a vehicle driven by a 75-year-old man from Crystal River.
The moped rider, a man from Inverness, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The passenger, a 15-year-old Homosassa boy, was seriously injured.
More and more people are choosing to drive drunk over the holiday season. December’s drunk driving deaths are the greatest in over 15 years, according to NHTSA data.
The most recent data year available, December 2021, showed 1,013 fatalities from drunk driving-related road crashes, the highest number since 2007. Over 4,500 people lost their lives in drunk driving-related traffic collisions in December between 2017 and 2021, according to data from the NHTSA. The tragedy of these losses is felt all year, but for many, it is intensified over the holidays.
All 50 states prohibit drug-impaired driving, just like they do drunk driving. During the years 2019–2021, the NHTSA investigated drivers who suffered life-threatening injuries or lost their lives at various trauma centers and medical examiner offices. According to the study, almost 25% of drivers at trauma clinics had detectable levels of THC, or marijuana’s active ingredient, in their bodies.
From now until Jan. 1 police are ramping up their efforts to keep impaired drivers off the roads. 204 people have died in 4,494 alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the past year in Florida, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Here are a few tips to make sure you and your friends and family get home safely this NYE:
We Can Help
A DUI accident case can be complicated and time-consuming to resolve. A lawyer can assist you in obtaining crucial evidence against a drunk or drug-impaired motorist, such as chemical test results and police camera footage. After that, a lawyer can help you file a claim with the insurance provider of the impaired motorist to seek fair compensation for all losses. Continue reading
This first weekend in December is one of the most popular periods to decorate your home for the holidays, second only to Thanksgiving weekend.
Additionally, it is the time when safety specialists’ shudder at the surge in hospital emergency rooms.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 160 decorating-related accidents occur every day throughout the holiday season.
Choosing a tree and setting up decorations inside and outside your house might be enjoyable for the whole family, but there is also an added opportunity for injuries to happen.
Every holiday season, more than 5,800 fall injuries are caused by holiday décor mishaps, according to the CDC. A little over 43% of those injuries are the result of ladder falls. According to estimates from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year about 18,000 Americans visit the emergency room due to injuries sustained from putting up Christmas decorations.
@jasonmeltonesquire Be careful getting that #christmastree up at your home. Here are some #christmas safety idea to think about. Be safe and have a great holiday season. #personalinjurylawyer #tampabay #springhillflorida #gainesvillefl #miamiflorida
The leading cause of ladder-related injuries is a ladder sliding out at the base due to an incorrect setup angle.
Here are some tips for ladder safety during the holidays:
During the Christmas season, emergency rooms throughout the country are overflowing with victims of holiday decorating disasters. In the months of November and December, there are an average of 230 decor-related injuries treated by American hospitals every day. So that this season can continue to be joyous, please be cautious! Continue reading
Six people were killed in a collision with a train in Plant City on Sept. 23, and another was seriously injured and expected to survive the crash.
There is a stop sign placed at the railroad crossing where the fatal collision took place, but there is no signal light or crossing arms. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is still looking into why the motorist did not stop.
A Hillsborough County commissioner is considering installing signals and crossbars at each train intersection in the county in the wake of the fatal collision. According to Commissioner Michael Owen, whose district includes Plant City, there are 19 junctions in the county that just have a stop sign and no flashing lights or crossing arms, including the one where the accident occurred.
Owen intends to ask the board’s legal division to investigate what might be done to make those crossings safer during the next commission meeting. The board must first determine what they can do legally because the crossroads where the deadly collision happened on September 23 is located on a private road, according to Owen.
A sudden loss of family members can be devastating, making the task of seeking out a competent wrongful death lawyer much more challenging. You need an experienced wrongful death attorney who is also compassionate and not afraid to obtain the results you need and deserve.
Our Florida Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want to get you the economic and non-economic damages you are entitled to, including:
A knowledgeable Florida Wrongful Death Lawyer will know how to properly investigate the accident and gather the testimony and evidence required to establish the cause of death and pinpoint who is responsible. It can be difficult to think about these things when you are mourning the loss of a loved one, but it is essential to take immediate action. Our Florida Wrongful Death Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are sensitive, knowledgeable, and experienced in dealing with the legalities of defending your rights amid such a trying time.
There is no cost to you to hire one of our wrongful death attorneys because we work on a contingency fee basis. We do not get paid unless we have helped you win a settlement or verdict. Continue reading
PASCO COUNTY, FL – Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene of a serious crash in Pasco County Wednesday morning.
In a traffic alert posted at 7 a.m., Pasco County Fire Rescue said the accident occurred in the area of State Road 52 and Ehren Cutoff in Land o’Lakes. Injuries were reported in the wreck but no further details were available on who had been hurt.
All lanes of State Road 52 were shut down between US-41 and Bellamy Brother’s Road. Drivers were advised to expect significant traffic delays and to move over for first responders.
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