Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

August 28, 2024

News: 16-year-old motorcyclist crashes into school bus in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A motorcycle and a school bus were involved in a collision in Pasco County on Monday afternoon, WTSP reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 16-year-old boy was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle east on Trinity Boulevard when the incident took place shortly before 3:30 p.m. The school bus and other cars had stopped for a pedestrian on a crosswalk near Sweetspire Drive, and the motorcyclist was not able to stop in time.

The teen rider crashed into the back of the bus and was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. There were no injuries among the 42 students on board the bus and the bus driver.

August 27, 2024

Labor Day 2024 – What Are the Best and Worst Times for Travel? | Florida Car Accident Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

One of the busiest travel weekends of the year is here – Labor Day weekend 2024.

The first Monday in September is always designated as Labor Day. Labor Day falls on Monday, September 2 this year.

The three-day weekend signifies the end of summer for many people. And, given that Florida is one of the most popular summer vacations in the United States, it is no surprise that one of the state’s most touristy cities is on AAA’s list of the top Labor Day locations in the country this year.

August 27, 2024

News: Spring Hill woman, 20, dies after car goes off US-19 and crashes

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A car wreck in Hernando County on Friday night claimed the life of a young woman, reports Pasco News Online.

The Florida Highway Patrol was dispatched to the scene on US-19 near State Road 50 after the crash occurred at about 6:20 p.m.

State troopers said their investigation indicated that the driver of a Kia K5 was headed north on US-19 when she lost control of the vehicle and drove off the roadway. The car crossed the shoulder, crashed into a utility pole, went through the parking lot of an animal care center, and came to rest in a wooded area.

August 26, 2024

News: Driver dies in Lake County when tree falls on vehicle, causing crash with dump truck

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – A collision in Lake County left one person dead and two others injured last Tuesday afternoon, WKMG reports.

An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol found that a man was driving a pickup truck westbound on County Road 474 at about 4:25 p.m. when a tree fell onto the vehicle near State Road 33. That caused the pickup to enter the eastbound lane, where it ended up in the path of an oncoming dump truck and the vehicles collided.

The pickup driver, a 58-year-old man, died after being taken to an area hospital. One of his passengers, a 40-year-old woman, was flown to an area hospital with critical injuries while the other passenger, a 34-year-old man, was seriously injured. All three occupants were from Groveland. The driver of the dump truck, a 47-year-old man from Kissimmee, was not injured.

August 26, 2024

Infant Left Behind in Car Pronounced Dead, At Least 27 Child Hot Car Deaths Since June | Florida Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 9-month-old baby was pronounced dead after being left behind in a car by a grandparent on Wednesday in Texas, according to reports.

The baby was left in a car seat around 8:30 a.m. and the grandmother allegedly returned to the vehicle around 4 p.m. to find the child unresponsive.

Reports indicate that the grandmother called police once she found the child.

August 23, 2024

News: Passenger dead in collision involving Tesla at Pasco County intersection

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A crash at an intersection in Pasco County last week left one person and two others injured, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to New Port Richey Patch, the wreck occurred Aug. 16 on Little Road near Heritage Lakes Boulevard. An investigation by state troopers determined that the driver of a Buick Reatta was headed south at about 9:20 p.m. and made a left turn into the path of a Tesla Model 3, resulting in a collision.

A passenger in the Buick, a 73-year-old woman from New Port Richey, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The driver of the Buick, a 75-year-old New Port Richey man, and the driver of the Tesla, a 45-year-old Osprey man, sustained minor injuries.

August 22, 2024

News: Coleman man dies after crashing into guardrail on Interstate 75 north

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol has released details of a fatal vehicle crash that occurred in Sumter County early Tuesday.

According to WKMG, the incident happened on Interstate 75 north near mile marker 330. According to the FHP, a driver lost control of his vehicle while traveling on the interstate and crashed into a guardrail in the median.

The motorist, a 36-year-old man from Coleman, died at the scene. His name has not yet been released.

August 21, 2024

News: Head-on collision in Sumter County kills 1, injures 2

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly head-on collision on County Road 472 in Sumter County on Monday night, WFTV reported.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation, the driver of a Nissan Altima was going east on County Road 472 at about 7 p.m. when her vehicle was struck by a Cadillac CTS that entered the eastbound lane while passing traffic near NE 42nd Boulevard. Both vehicles rotated to the south shoulder of the roadway, and the Altima overturned multiple times.

The driver of the Altima, a 55-year-old woman from Oxford, died at the scene. The driver of the Cadillac, a 52-year-old Ocala man, and his passenger, an 81-year-old man from Yorkville, Illinois, were seriously injured and transported to an area hospital.

August 20, 2024

News: Crash on US-19 in Hernando County leaves 1 driver dead, 1 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – One driver was killed and another injured when their vehicles collided in Hernando County on Friday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A report by WFTS states that the accident happened along U.S. Highway 19 near State Road 50. According to state troopers, a driver had pulled out of a restaurant parking lot on Commercial Way and failed to yield to the driver of a Dodge Ram headed north in the outside lane of Highway 19.

The first driver turned left into the path of the Ram, and the vehicles crashed. The first driver, a 69-year-old woman from Brooksville, died at the scene. The Ram driver, a 16-year-old male, was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

August 19, 2024

News: Wesley Chapel man dies in motorcycle accident on US-301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred in Pasco County on the evening of Aug. 11.

A report by Pasco News Online states that a man was riding a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle northbound on US-301 on wet road conditions. The FHP said he lost control of the bike while trying to pass other vehicles north of Dead River Road.

The motorcycle overturned and slid off the roadway, then crashed into a roadside sign. The motorcyclist, a 24-year-old man from Wesley Chapel, was pronounced dead at the scene.