BUSHNELL, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a collision in Sumter County Monday morning left one one driver dead and the other hospitalized.
WKMG reports the two-vehicle accident took place near Bushnell at about 7:45 a.m.
The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of a Chevrolet SUV was going east on County Road 476 and traveled into the westbound lane near SW 52nd Street. The SUV collided with a Nissan pickup truck that was going west.
DADE CITY, FL – A driver was killed in a wrong-way accident in Pasco County on Wednesday, Pasco News Online reports.
It happened in the area of 7th Street and Robinson Avenue in Dade City shortly before 5:30 p.m.
An investigation determined that a woman was driving a Chevy Cavalier southbound in the northbound lane on 7th Street. The driver of a southbound Ford Ranger was attempting to make a left turn at the intersection with Robinson Avenue and collided with the Cavalier, causing the Chevy to veer off the road and crash into a building.
MARION COUNTY, FL – A crash involving a truck and a minivan in Marion County left two people dead and three others injured, according to the Ocala StarBanner.
The vehicles collided Wednesday morning in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 near the exit for County Road 318.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a minivan traveling in the center lane clipped the left front tire of a semi in the right outside lane. The minivan went off the roadway, onto a grass shoulder, hit two trees and caught fire. The driver, a 49-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 15-year-old boy, died at the scene. Both were from Miami. Another passenger, a 23-year-old woman from Miami, was seriously injured while two children, ages 2 and 1, sustained minor injuries. The injured were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Officials say that a 7-year-old child who died in a mishap at a Florida ATV park this week was not wearing a helmet at the time.
The child was seated behind a 32-year-old man driving an ATV when the vehicle overturned on Sunday, April 21, at the Hog Waller Campground and ATV Resort in Palatka, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The ATV made a sharp turn and overturned onto the boy as he collided into a tree stump.
The 32-year-old suffered minor injuries, while the boy died at a nearby hospital.
With this incident, the park has now seen four fatalities since 2019.
The FHP claims that the victims were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Florida law states that Operators of off-highway vehicles and riders under the age of 16 are required to wear safety helmets and eye protection certified by the USDOT. Riders of all ages are highly recommended to use eye protection and helmets.
Both adults and children are apparently required to sign two waivers before entering the park, according to reports. Signers of the waiver agree to assume certain risks, including the loss of all rights to compensation and legal action for any kind of personal injury, including death.
All-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, provide an exciting way for riders to experience the great outdoors and explore tough terrain. Wearing a helmet is an important component of ATV safety that is sometimes disregarded, but our Florida ATV Accident Lawyers cannot stress enough how important it is to wear a helmet, especially considering the possible risks connected to ATV collisions.
In the event of an ATV crash, wearing a helmet greatly lowers the chance of suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A helmet reduces the risk of serious brain damage by serving as a protective barrier that absorbs and distributes impact force. It is essentially a vital barrier that protects the rider’s head from harsh surfaces like rocks, tree branches or stumps, or the ground itself in the event of an accident.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The most recent report from the CPSC indicates that 2,211 fatalities in the US between 2016 and 2018 were related to off-highway vehicles (OHVs), which include utility-terrain vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and recreational off-highway vehicles. Almost 75% of the fatalities were caused by ATVs. Children under the age of 16 accounted for over 300 of the deaths.
According to CPSC estimates, 112,300 injuries related to OHVs were attended to in hospital emergency rooms across the United States in 2020. ATVs accounted for 96% of all OHV injuries over a five-year period.
Florida has been named a top state for ATV deaths. In fact, 931 deaths, or more than 42% of all off-highway vehicle deaths, occurred in these 10 states between 2016 and 2018: Texas, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, California, Florida, North Carolina, New York, Alabama, and Michigan. Continue reading
TARPON SPRINGS, FL – State troopers were called to the scene of a fatal car vs. bicycle accident in Tarpon Springs on Tuesday evening, reports WTVT.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 75-year-old woman was riding a bicycle west on Bryan Lane ahead of a Jaguar SUV near Cypress Lakes Boulevard.
The investigation indicated that as the Jaguar approached, the bicycle rider abruptly turned left into the path of the vehicle and the bicyclist was struck. The victim, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Parking lots, those seemingly harmless locations that we all pass through on a regular basis, can occasionally become the setting for unexpected drama. Accidents can and do occur amid the chaos of moving automobiles, people crossing the street, and pushing grocery carts. Accidents that occur in parking lots are sometimes written off as minor annoyances, but they can have serious financial and emotional consequences.
Parking lot collisions are frequently distinguished by their minimal injuries and seeming low speeds. However, even at low speeds, collisions can cause injuries to both pedestrians and drivers, and property damage can quickly escalate. These accidents, ranging from minor fender benders to more major pedestrian-related occurrences, can have long-term consequences.
There are several factors that lead to parking lot accidents:
Minor Accidents Do Not Mean Minor Injuries
Parking lot fender benders are easy to write off as insignificant. These are, after all, mostly low-speed collisions that might only leave small dents or scratches behind. The human body, on the other hand, is significantly more delicate than paint and metal, something that many people overlook.
Understanding The Potential Injuries
PASCO COUNTY, FL – A semi-truck accident in Pasco County on Monday morning left two people injured and caused major traffic delays, WFTS reported.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the incident took place on State Road 56 at about 11:15 a.m. An investigation indicated that an SUV hit a gravel truck as both vehicles were changing lanes near I-75 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard.
The truck overturned, and both drivers were injured. No details were released on the severity of their injuries.
WALDO, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a driver trying to elude law enforcement authorities was involved in a fatal crash in Alachua County early Saturday morning.
The Gainesville Sun reports the incident began when the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office requested the FHP’s help in pursuing a Honda CRV recently stolen from Alachua County.
State troopers said some of the vehicle’s occupants appeared to be wearing ski masks, and that the Honda exited U.S. 301 onto State Road 24 in the Waldo area.
MARION COUNTY, FL – A crash involving an SUV and a motorcycle left two people dead on Friday night, WKMG reported.
The vehicles collided in the area of State Road 25 and SE 104th Trail at about 1o p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The FHP said the driver of the SUV was turning left at the intersection but did not check for traffic and crashed into a motorcycle heading east on SR-25. A 25-year-old man and 22-year-old woman on the motorcycle were ejected from the bike, and both died at the scene.
The open road provides an exciting sense of adventure and freedom, but it also carries several risks, particularly when there are distractions that come into play. Distractions behind the wheel can have disastrous results, whether it is glancing at a text message, fiddling with the radio, or just daydreaming. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month—a great opportunity to refocus and take ownership of the decisions we make when driving. There are many ways drivers can become distracted while driving. Here are some of the most common ways drivers lose their focus on the road:
The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, even a two-second distraction from the road increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident by double. Here are some tips for staying focused while driving:
During the month of April, you may see more police on the roads as part of the NHTSA’s national campaign Put the Phone Away or Pay. This campaign serves as a warning to drivers about the grave risks of texting and driving, as well as the associated penalties and fines. Continue reading
