Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

March 3, 2023

News: Man sentenced to life in prison for Marion County crash that left 3 dead

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A man has been sentenced to life in prison for causing a fatal crash in Marion County on Nov. 7, 2019, the Ocala StarBanner reports.

The sentence was handed down Monday for 52-year-old Stephen Douglas Lynn of Ocala. The accident happened at the intersection of County Road 484 and Southeast 36th Avenue. Authorities said Lynn ws behind the wheel of a pickup truck when he went through a stop light at that location.

The pickup T-boned a Suzuki Vitara driven by 71-year-old Emilio Nunez, who had picked up his two granddaughters from school and was heading home. Nunez and the two girls, ages 9 and 7, were killed in the wreck.

March 2, 2023

News: Pickup truck and sedan involved in rollover accident in Ocala

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – Police and first responders were at the scene of a rollover accident in Ocala on Tuesday morning.

According to a Facebook post by Ocala Fire Rescue, Engine 4, Rescue 4, Squad 7, Battalion Chief 11, and a Safety Officer were dispatched to the scene at the 3900 block of W Silver Springs Boulevard shortly before 7 a.m.

They arrived to find a pickup truck on its roof, a sedan with moderate front-end damage, and the two drivers outside their vehicles. The driver of the sedan was transported to a hospital for evaluation. No one else was in the vehicles, and no other injuries were reported.

March 2, 2023

News: Woman on bicycle struck, killed by patrol car in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

DADE CITY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said one of its patrol cars was involved in a fatal accident in Pasco County on Saturday night.

According to a report by WTSP, the incident occurred on U.S. 301 near Desrosier Road in Dade City.

The FHP said a state trooper was driving a patrol car northbound at 9:49 p.m. and struck a woman riding a bicycle near the centerline of the highway. The woman, a 40-year-old Lacoochee resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name was not immediately released.

February 28, 2023

News: Man fleeing police involved in fatal collision in Lake County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

FRUITLAND PARK, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a driver trying to elude police died in a wreck in Lake County Saturday afternoon.

According to WKMG, Lady Lake police officers had initiated a chase of the man but lost sight of him due to how fast and recklessly he was driving.

When the driver reached US 441 in Fruitland Park, his vehicle crashed into an SUV. The fleeing driver, a 35-year-old Orlando man, died at the scene. The driver of the SUV, a 43-year-old woman, was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital. Two girls who were her passengers, ages 14 and 13, sustained minor injuries.

February 27, 2023

News: Driver sought after hitting woman and child in Gainesville, leaving scene

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – A search is underway for the driver who struck two pedestrians near downtown Gainesville last Tuesday morning.

According to a report by WGFL, the accident occurred at North Main Street and NW 10th Avenue. A woman in her 70s and a child were walking across NW 10th Avenue when they were struck by a silver Honda Odyssey van.

Police said the driver left the scene of the crash without reporting it. The two victims were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital.

February 24, 2023

News: 18-wheeler crashes into overpass on I-75 near Ocala, snarling traffic

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – An accident involving a semitractor-trailer caused massive traffic delays on Interstate 75 in Marion County Tuesday morning, the Bradenton Herald reports.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Freightliner 18-wheeler with an oversized load struck an overpass on I-75 north at Southwest 66th Street/Williams Road near Ocala at about 9:19 a.m.

The driver, a 50-year-old man from Lakeland, was not injured. The overpass and the northbound lanes of I-75 were shut down and traffic was backed up for miles in both directions.

February 23, 2023

News: Motorcyclist dies after being rear-ended on State Road 44

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A collision in Sumter County Wednesday morning claimed the life of a motorcycle rider, reports WKMG.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the 65-year-old motorcyclist was riding west on State Road 44 near County Road 44A when the accident happened at about 5:50 a.m. According to the FHP, a 44-year-old man from the Villages was riding behind the motorcycle when he rear-ended the bike.

The motorcyclist, a resident of Bushnell, was pronounced dead at the scene.

February 22, 2023

News: Driver killed, passenger injured in SUV crash on I-75 in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – An elderly driver was killed in a sport utility vehicle accident in Pasco County Sunday, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A report by WFLA stated that the crash happened on Interstate 75 near mile marker 279. According to the FHP, a 75-year-old Leesburg man was driving an SUV north on the interstate at about 4:50 p.m. when the vehicle went off the roadway, crashed through a fence and struck a tree.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene while his passenger, a 73-year-old Leesburg man, was seriously injured.

February 21, 2023

News: Pedestrian, 75, struck and killed by car on State Road 121

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a man died in a pedestrian accident while walking in Alachua County on Thursday night.

According to the Ocala News, the crash happened at the intersection of State Road 121 and SW 137th Avenue. The FHP said the victim was trying to walk across State Road 121 at about 7:15 p.m. when he was hit by a sedan headed southbound.

The pedestrian, a 75-year-old Archer man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, a 56-year-old woman from Morriston, was not injured. No one else was in the car at the time.

February 20, 2023

News: Motorcyclist, 63, dies after colliding with SUV in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A motorcyclist died following a collision in Pasco County on Thursday afternoon, according to IONTB.com.

The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene in the area of Oakmont Boulevard and Anclote Boulevard after the incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m.

State troopers said an 83-year-old Tarpon Springs man was driving an SUV northbound on Oakmont Avenue and failed to yield at the intersection after a sedan stopped at Anclote Boulevard. The SUV entered the intersection and went into the path of a westbound motorcycle, causing a collision. The SUV then rotated and hit the sedan.