Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

August 1, 2024

News: 2 drivers dead following collision at Marion County intersection

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A collision at an intersection in Marion County Wednesday night left both drivers dead, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Ocala StarBanner reports authorities were called to the scene in the vicinity of U.S. 27 and Northwest 60th Avenue at about 8:24 p.m. The FHP’s investigation determined that a Honda Civic collided with a Toyota Highlander SUV.

The Honda was heading east on U.S. 27 while the Toyota was going in the opposite direction and entered the left turn lane to turn onto 60th Avenue when the vehicles crashed. Both drivers had the green light at the time, state troopers said. Witnesses said the driver of the Toyota violated the Honda’s right-of-way and entered the vehicle’s path.

August 1, 2024

Tampa Airport Construction Equipment Operator Killed On the Job | Tampa Workplace Wrongful Death Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A construction equipment operator was killed Wednesday morning in an accident at Tampa International Airport.

The incident occurred around 7:40 a.m. when workers were working on a shuttle guideway project, according to a news release.

The investigation is ongoing. Flight operations continued unaffected.

July 31, 2024

News: Man walking in Lake County struck and killed by pickup truck

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – State troopers are investigating a pedestrian fatality that occurred in Lake County early Monday morning.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, a man was walking on Lake Mack Drive near Evergreen Drive when the incident took place at 5:01 a.m.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the pedestrian was struck by a Ford F-150 pickup truck going north on Lake Mack Drive. He died after being taken to Advent Health DeLand. The victim, a 51-year-old man from DeLand, was not in a marked crosswalk at the time of the collision.

July 30, 2024

News: Semi rear-ends car on NW County Rd 229 in Starke

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADFORD COUNTY, FL – Bradford County Fire Rescue paramedics responded to the scene of a two-vehicle collision Tuesday afternoon in northwest Stark, reports WCJB.

The incident, which was reported shortly before 1:00 p.m., led to a partial closure in the 5600 block of Northwest County Road 229.

Details are limited, but officials said a semi-truck hit the back of an SUV carrying more than one occupant.

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.