ALACHUA, FL – A teenager was killed when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in Alachua Sunday night, according to WGFL.
The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the accident scene on West State Road 235 near County Road 237 at about 8:30 p.m.
The FHP said the 18-year-old victim was riding his motorcycle west on West State Road 235 when he was hit at the intersection with County Road 237 by a northbound pickup truck hauling a trailer.
LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a collision in Lake County on Friday evening left one person dead and two others injured.
A report by WKMG states that the accident happened on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 276 shortly before 10 p.m.
An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol determined that the driver of a BMW X3 SUV made an improper lane change while heading south on the Turnpike in the inside lane.
MARION COUNTY, FL – The driver of a pickup truck died after his vehicle was involved in a collision in Marion County on Saturday afternoon, WKMG reports.
The accident occurred on U.S. Highway 441 near the intersection with NW 77th Street in Ocala at about 3:16 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said a semitruck with a trailer was parked in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 441 at a red traffic light.
According to state troopers, the pickup truck driver was going south in the outside lane of U.S. 441 and did not slow down despite slower traffic ahead. The pickup, going at high speed, slammed into the back of the semi’s trailer. The pickup truck driver, a 41-year-old man from Mount Dora, was trapped in his vehicle and was pronounced dead by rescue crews.
Florida is consistently ranked in the top 5 states in the U.S. with the most fatalities from car accidents. Initial figures from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) shows that the Sunshine State has already seen 115,093 traffic crashes in 2023 resulting in 982 deaths and 74,021 injuries. In 2022, Florida saw 3,245 fatal traffic crashes. In 2021, Florida saw 3,454 car accident deaths. In 2020, Florida saw 3,332 car accident deaths.
Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida have several dangerous roads that contribute to the high number of fatalities from car crashes.
The geography of these roads may contribute to the high number of traffic deaths, but drunk driving and distracted driving also play a large role in the startling number of fatalities. There were 268 alcohol and drug-impaired fatalities in Florida in 2022, according to data from the FLHSMV. In that same year, Florida also saw 268 distracted driving fatalities. Continue reading
LAKE COUNTY, FL – A car crash in Lake County early Friday morning left one driver dead and another injured, WESH reports.
The accident happened on the Florida Turnpike in the Howey-In-The-Hills area at about 3 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s initial investigation found that a woman was driving a Buick Century south on the turnpike approaching Howey Road when she started to slow down.
A man driving behind her in a Kia Sorento failed to slow down and crashed into the back of the woman’s vehicle. The woman, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver, a 39-year-old man from Orlando, was seriously injured. He was listed in serious but stable condition after being taken to South Lake Hospital.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – A car accident in Pasco County Wednesday left two teenagers hospitalized, WFLA reports.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of a Chevrolet Corvette was travelling at high speed on Interstate 75 south near Overpass Road and lost control of the car.
The Corvette swerved to the inside shoulder, hit a guardrail, slid across three lanes and came to rest on the west shoulder. The driver, an 18-year-old Spring Hill man, and his passenger, an 18-year-old Spring Hill woman, were seriously injured and taken to an area hospital. State troopers said both were wearing their seatbelts.
With the month of April wrapping up, our Florida Auto Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton wanted to remind everyone about a few distracted driving tips that can help you stay safe on the roads.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its 2021 report on fatal crashes this month showing some startling statistics. In 2021, 3,522 people died in distracted driving crashes throughout the United States. In this same year, a total of 43,000 lives were taken in car crashes, a 10.5% increase from 2020. This is the largest percentage increase in car crash fatalities since 1975.
Distracted driving easily happens and can involve anything that causes drivers to avert their eyes from the road onto something else. The most common distracted driving behaviors we hear about involve cell phones or other electronic devices – making phone calls, sending/reading text messages, checking emails, scrolling through social media, playing games, watching videos, etc. These are all dangerous activities to do while driving as this increases your odds of becoming involved in a car crash.
There are also other distractions that can affect motorists while driving, including:
The thing about driving is that motorists behind the wheel must be able to react quickly to what is happening around them. When drivers are distracted, they simply cannot do this. Any distracted driving behavior that takes your eyes off the road for a mere 5 seconds when traveling at 55 mph is the equivalent of driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed. If you are reading a text message and fail to see the driver in front of you has slowed down or stopped, then you could cause a rear-end crash.
The dangers of distracted driving only increase the faster the speed you are travelling. If you are on an interstate or highway and fail to notice an obstacle in your path, then you could wind up causing a dangerous pileup crash or even a rollover accident.
Contact Our Florida Distracted Driver Car Crash Attorneys Continue reading
SUMTER COUNTY, FL – State troopers said a pickup truck accident in Sumter County Thursday morning left one person dead.
According to WKMG, the crash occurred on County Road 475 at about 12:15 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said the male driver was going north on C.R. 475 when the pickup went off the roadway near State Road 470.
The vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire, killing the driver. His identity was not immediately released.
MARION COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol investigated a fatal bicycle accident that occurred in Marion County last week.
According to WKMG, the victim was a male who was riding a bicycle east in the westbound lane of NE 35th Street shortly after 10 p.m. State troopers determined that a westbound vehicle struck the bicyclist near NE 16th Court.
The victim, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, a 17-year-old Ocala boy, and his three passengers, all from Orange Park, were not injured.
GAINESVILLE, FL – A man driving a stolen hearse caused a multi-vehicle crash in Gainesville Sunday afternoon, police said.
According to WGFL, the hearse was stolen from the Chestnut Funeral Home on NW 8th Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. Police said the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Williams Stewart, drove about three miles to the corner of NW 34th Street and crashed into four other vehicles.
Williams was injured and taken to an area hospital. No injuries were reported among the drivers of the other four vehicles.
