Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

November 4, 2022

News: 79-year-old woman on bicycle struck, killed by van on Suncoast Trail

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – An elderly woman was killed in an accident while riding a bicycle in Pasco County Tuesday morning, state troopers said.

WFLA reports the 79-year-old victim was riding south on the Suncoast Trail when the crash took place shortly before 9:30 a.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the bicyclist did not stop for a posted stop sign on the trail and ended up in the path of a van that was about to merge right to westbound Ridge Road. The van and the bicycle collided and the bicycle rider, a New Port Richey resident, was declared dead after being transported to a hospital.

November 3, 2022

News: Head-on collision on State Road 40 leaves 1 dead, 2 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly head-on crash in Marion County last week, the Ocala StarBanner reports.

The accident occurred on State Road 40 near Northeast 118th Avenue Road, where first responders arrived at the scene at about 3:16 p.m.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of a Hyundai Elantra was going west on SR 40 and swerved to avoid traffic that had slowed for a turning vehicle. The Elantra crashed into a Hyundai Kona that was going east on the roadway.

November 2, 2022

News: 2 hurt in crash after driver runs red light near Brownwood, police say

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

WILDWOOD, FL – Police in Wildwood said two drivers were hospitalized following a collision that occurred on Saturday morning.

According to the Villages-News, the incident happened in the area of Meggison Road and State Road 44 near Brownwood at 7:12 a.m. Investigators determined that 56-year-old Judith Anne Cervini was behind the wheel of a Kia Optima heading north on Meggison Road and went through a red light. The Kia struck the front of a Mazda Miata that had the green light while going west on State Road 44.

Cervini was taken to UF Health-Leesburg Hospital while the driver of the Mazda, 63-year-old Julia Ann Von Ah of the VIllage of Chitty Chatty, was transported to UF Health-The Villages Hospital freestanding Emergency Room at Brownwood. Both drivers had head and neck pain.

November 1, 2022

News: Man fatally struck by vehicles after SUV breaks down on Pasco County interstate

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A pedestrian died after being struck by multiple vehicles on Interstate 75 in Pasco County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to the Citrus County Chronicle, the incident began when a Ford Expedition broke down on I-75 south near Land O’Lakes Thursday shortly after 5 a.m.

The FHP said the two occupants of the Ford, a 41-year-old man and his 20-year-old son, were both impaired and got out of the vehicle that had stopped on the interstate. The man, a Tampa resident, attempted to walk across I-75 but was hit by three different vehicles and suffered fatal injuries.

October 31, 2022

Stop for School Buses | Florida Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

School buses happen to be one of the safest vehicles on the roadway. Every day, millions of children ride school buses and less than 1% of all traffic deaths involve children on school buses.

School buses are designed so that they are highly visible to others and are equipped with safety features like flashing red lights, stop-arm signs, cross-view mirrors, high crush standards, protective seating, and rollover protection features.

Children are at a greater risk of being involved in an accident when entering or exiting a school bus than when they are passengers on one, so it is very important for all drivers, parents, and students to understand school bus safety.

October 31, 2022

News: 5 dead, 3 injured in multi-vehicle accident in Hillsborough County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said five people died after a multi-vehicle crash Sunday night in Hillsborough County.

According to WFTS, the incident happened on State Road 39 near Bruton Road at about 9:22 p.m. The FHP said the driver of a northbound Ford Explorer crossed over the center line and crashed into a southbound Nissan Frontier nearly head-on. The Explorer ended up on a shoulder of the highway while the Frontier came to rest in the southbound lane, where it was was struck a short time later by a tractor-trailer.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene: the drivers of the Frontier and the Explorer, and two passengers in the Explorer, a 56-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl. Another passenger in the Explorer, a 1-year-old child, died after being taken to an area hospital. Three other passengers in the SUV, ages 5, 22 and 31, were seriously injured. The driver of the third vehicle was not hurt.

October 28, 2022

News: Truck driver dies after vehicle hits guardrail, trees on I-75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a truck driver died following an accident in Alachua County on Tuesday morning.

According to WGFL, the driver of a Volvo semi-truck pulling a flatbed trailer was headed south on Interstate 75 when he traveled onto the right shoulder near the Archer Road exit at about 7:50 a.m. The truck hit a guard rail, went down an inclined shoulder of the roadway, and crashed into several trees.

The driver, a 55-year-old man from Lake City, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

October 27, 2022

News: Alachua man killed when motorcycle goes off road, hits sign post

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA, FL – An accident in Alachua County Saturday morning left a motorcycle rider dead, reports the Gainesville Sun.

The incident took place on U.S. Highway 441 southbound in Micanopy at about 9:24 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a man was riding a motorcycle when he drove off the roadway and collided with a sign post.

The victim, a 31-year-old Alachua man, was pronounced dead after being taken to UF Health Shands Hospital.

October 26, 2022

How to Have a Happy Halloween and Avoid a DUI | Florida DUI Defense Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Facing a DUI charge can be frightening. This may be your first run in with the law, and facing the criminal justice can be a terrifying experience because you have never done so before.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on Halloween night during the years 2015-2019, 126 people were killed in DUI accidents. Moreover, drunk drivers operating vehicles with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher are responsible for 38% of deaths on Halloween night.

With so many fatalities resulting from drivers operating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs on Halloween night, it is much more common nowadays to see local police setting up more DUI checkpoints to scout any drunk drivers.

October 26, 2022

News: Bicyclist struck and killed by teenage driver in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A bicyclist died after being struck by a vehicle in Pasco County Sunday night, reports WTSP.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the victim, a 46-year-old man, was riding north in the center lane of US-19 near State Road 54 when the accident took place shortly after 11:30 p.m.

State troopers said the bicycle rider was struck by a northbound vehicle driven by a 17-year-old girl. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.