Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

October 3, 2023

Brightline Train Strikes and Kills Pedestrian During Orlando-Bound Trek | Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

On Thursday, a pedestrian was struck in what seems to be a suicide, according to officials, on Florida’s high-speed passenger rail service’s new extension to Orlando. Overall, since Brightline’s operations began six years ago, 99 people have died.

Before 9 a.m., a northbound Brightline train destined for Orlando struck a 25-year-old homeless man close to Fort Pierce on the Atlantic Coast, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Reports indicate that police believe the man walked in front of the train on purpose.

Brightline’s trains can move up to 79 mph (127 kph) in densely crowded places, 110 mph (177 kph) through less populated areas, and 125 mph (200 kph) through countryside in central Florida. The speed of this train is unknown currently.

October 3, 2023

News: Bicyclist, 17, fatally struck by bus near Lake County school

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a teenage bicyclist died after an accident in Lake County on Monday morning.

According to WESH, the 17-year-old boy was riding a bicycle on Hancock Road near the entrance to Lake Minneola High School when the crash occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Investigators said the bicycle rider was in a marked crosswalk when the driver of a school bus made a left turn and swerved to miss the teen but was unable to avoid a collision.

The victim, a student at the high school, was hit by the bus and pronounced dead after being rushed to South Lake Hospital. No one on board the bus was injured.

October 2, 2023

News: Woman critically injured in collision at intersection in Ocala

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – Two drivers were injured, one critically, when their vehicles collided at an intersection in Ocala last week.

A report by the Ocala Star-Banner said the incident happened Monday at Northeast Osceola Avenue and Northeast 10th Street.

According to police, the driver of a Mitsubishi Eclipse was going south on Osceola Avenue and pulled out in front of a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck going west on Northeast 10th Street. The pickup truck T-boned the Mitsubishi.

September 29, 2023

News: Bicyclist critically injured after being hit by semi on State Road 44

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – A bicyclist was critically injured after being hit by a truck in Lake County on Wednesday morning, reports Inside Lake.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the victim was a 45-year-old man from Paisley. He was trying to ride across State Road 44 near Spruce Drive when the accident occurred at about 8:15 a.m.

The bicycle entered the path of a semi-truck with a trailer, and when the driver of the truck swerved to avoid the bicycle, the vehicle overturned on the road’s south shoulder. Investigators said the back end of the trailer caused the bicyclist to be thrown from the bike.

September 28, 2023

News: Teenage girl struck by car while riding scooter in Gainesville

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a collision in Gainesville last week sent a teenage girl to the hospital.

According to the Alachua Chronicle, the incident happened near the 4600 block of SW Archer Road on Sept. 18. The FHP said a 21-year-old Gainesville woman was driving a Toyota sedan westbound at about 11:19 p.m. when she struck a scooter in the right lane operated by a 17-year-old girl from Lakeland. The girl was ejected from the scooter and seriously injured.

She was taken to UF Health Shands for treatment. The victim was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, troopers said.

September 27, 2023

News: Lanes shut down on State Road 52 in Pasco County due to crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

September 26, 2023

News: Teen struck by hit-and-run driver while walking dog in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A teenage girl was injured after being struck by a car in Marion County, and a search is continuing for the driver involved.

The Ocala News reports the incident happened Sept. 11 on State Road 40 near SW 185th Road at about 10:05 p.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 15-year-old victim was walking her dog on the southbound paved shoulder of the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle that traveled onto the shoulder.

An investigation indicated that the driver stopped briefly on the shoulder but then left the scene without providing any help or information.

September 25, 2023

News: Multiple injuries reported in crash at intersection in Shady Hills

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SHADY HILLS, FL – Pasco County Fire Rescue reported its crews were at the scene of a crash in Shady Hills on Wednesday afternoon.

In a traffic alert on Facebook at 2:34 p.m., the rescue squad said the incident happened at Oxenham Avenue and Drayton Street. Multiple injuries were reported, though no details were released on who had been injured.

The intersection was shut down and drivers were advised to expect significant delays while first responders worked at the accident scene.

September 22, 2023

News: Motorcyclist, 18, dies after being hit by SUV in Spring Hill

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SPRING HILL, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a collision that killed a teenage motorcyclist in Spring Hill on Sunday night.

WFLA reports details of the incident that occurred in the vicinity of Devlin Street and Cortez Boulevard.

According to the FHP’s investigation, a 57-year-old woman was driving an SUV shortly after 10 p.m. when she drove through a stop sign without yielding and struck the 18-year-old motorcycle rider. He was ejected from the motorcycle and collided with a pickup truck that was parked outside a bar on Cortez Boulevard.

September 21, 2023

News: Car and pickup truck involved in fatal collision on State Road 26

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MELROSE, FL – A sedan and a pickup truck were involved in a fatal crash in Alachua County on Tuesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A report by the Main Street Daily News states that the accident happened on State Road 26 near County Road 219A west of Melrose at about 6:51 a.m.

The FHP’s investigation found that a man was driving a pickup truck eastbound on State Road 26 when he drove off the south shoulder of the roadway. When he re-entered the road, he crossed over the center line and entered the path of a sedan driven by a 42-year-old woman. The pickup hit the side of the car and the woman, a Starke resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.