Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

July 29, 2024

News: Woman, 66, dies after being struck by vehicle in Wesley Chapel

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol released details of a pedestrian fatality that occurred in Pasco County on Wednesday morning.

WTSP reports the victim was a 66-year-old woman from Zephyrhills. She was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel shortly before 6 a.m.

According to the FHP, the pedestrian was walking eastbound when she reportedly stepped off the median and entered the path of a northbound Toyota Corolla driven by a 25-year-old woman from Tampa.

July 26, 2024

News: Man and woman from Ocala die in car wreck near Belleview school

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BELLEVIEW, FL – A collision near Belleview Santos Elementary School on Thursday left two Ocala residents dead, reports the Ocala StarBanner.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation, the driver of a Chevy Cobalt was headed northbound on U.S. 441 South at about 5 p.m. when he entered the left turn lane to go onto Southeast 95th Street. The Cobalt then collided at the intersection with a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck that was going south on U.S. 441. The impact sent the Toyota off the roadway where it overturned onto its roof near a utility pole. The Chevy went off the roadway onto a shoulder close to a fence near the school.

The driver of the Chevy, a 72-year-old man from Ocala, and his passenger, a 71-year-old Ocala woman, died after being transported to HCA Florida Ocala. The driver of the Toyota, a 20-year-old Fort McCoy man, was seriously injured and taken to the same hospital.

July 25, 2024

News: Collision in Lake County leaves 1 driver dead, 1 seriously injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – State troopers said a two-vehicle collision in Lake County on Tuesday morning left one of the drivers dead and the other hospitalized.

According to WOFL, a 1996 Honda Civic and a 2008 Toyota Tacoma crashed in the vicinity of County Road 450A and Pine Street at about 6:11 a.m. The FHP’s investigation determined that the driver of the Tacoma failed to yield and entered the path of the Civic as that vehicle headed west approaching the intersection. The front side of the Civic hit the side of the Tacoma.

The driver of the Civic, a 32-year-old man from Umatilla, died after being taken to an area hospital. The driver of the Tacoma, age 40, was seriously injured and hospitalized.

July 24, 2024

News: Man dies after being struck by hit-and-run driver in Ocklawaha

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCKLAWAHA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol and Marion County emergency crews were dispatched to a pedestrian fatality in Ocklawaha on Monday night, according to the Ocala StarBanner.

Investigators determined that a man was lying down in the eastbound lane of East County Road 25 near Bay Road when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The victim, a 71-year-old man from Ocklawaha, was found dead at the scene shortly before 10 p.m. His name was not immediately released.

Family members told the FHP they did not know why the man was at that location, or where he was heading.

July 23, 2024

News: 3 injured when driver swerves to avoid box on I-75, crashes into tree

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – A car accident on Interstate 75 near Gainesville sent three people to the hospital, Main Street Daily News reported.

The crash occurred at about 10:24 a.m. Saturday on I-75 north in the vicinity of mile marker 390. The Florida Highway Patrol said a man was driving a sedan and had to swerve when a large box containing an AC coil fell from a pickup truck.

The sedan crashed into a tree on the east shoulder of the interstate. Two passengers in the sedan, a 23-year-old woman from Gainesville and a 26-year-old man from Norfolk, Virginia, were hospitalized with critical injuries. The driver, a 25-year-old Gainesville man, was listed in serious condition after being taken to an area trauma center.

July 22, 2024

News: Person on mobility scooter fatally struck by vehicle in New Port Richey

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

July 19, 2024

News: Lakeland man, 70, dies in crash involving motorcycle in Sumter County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A motorcyclist was killed in a crash involving two other vehicles in Sumter County on Sunday morning, WKMG reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene at the intersection of State Road 471 and State Road 50 after being notified of the incident at about 9 a.m.

The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of a Ford Expedition going west on State Road 50 went through a red light and collided with the side of a northbound Kenworth tractor-trailer. Both vehicles were redirected into the southbound lanes of State Road 471, and the tractor-trailer hit a Harley Davidson motorcycle that was headed south in a left turn lane.

July 18, 2024

Girl Ejected From Ride at Indiana County Fair | Florida Amusement Park Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

All rides have been removed from the Indiana County Fair after a girl was thrown from a ride Monday night and was injured.

This prompted an investigation from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which found the “Rock and Roll” ride the girl was thrown from had numerous violations.

Two of the rider carriages on the “Rock and Roll” were “deemed unusable” because of safety issues when the ride was last inspected on June 11, according to IDHS.

July 18, 2024

News: Pickup truck driver dead after crashing into ditch in Newberry

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

NEWBERRY, FL – State troopers said a driver died when his pickup truck was involved in a wreck in Alachua County on Monday.

According to details reported by the Alachua Chronicle, the incident took place on Newberry Road near SW 218th Street in Newberry at about 5 p.m.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 70-year-old man from Bell was driving west when his pickup entered the center grass median, then crossed the eastbound lanes of Newberry Road and crashed into a ditch on the south shoulder of the road. The vehicle then collided with a wooden fence in an open field.

July 17, 2024

Child Hot Car Deaths Rising this Summer Across U.S. | Florida Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The total number of child hot car deaths in 2024 has reached 11 as of today, July 17.

In the latest child tragedy, a 2-month-old girl died after being left inside a hot car in New Jersey on Monday.

According to Kids and Car Safety, there are 3 additional child deaths that are likely linked to being left inside a hot car that are pending autopsy results.