Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

September 19, 2024

Wagon Mishap During School Field Trip to Apple Orchard Results in More Than Two Dozen Injuries | Florida Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A wagon toppled over during a school field trip at a Wisconsin apple orchard on Wednesday, injuring over 20 individuals, three of whom had critical injuries, according to officials.

The incident happened at Bushel and a Peck Orchard in the town of Lafayette, which is in Chippewa Falls, about 200 miles west of Green Bay.

According to reports, the wagons were being pulled off a public road when the driver lost control, causing them to flip and leaving multiple children and adults with serious injuries.

September 19, 2024

News: Man dies after e-bicycle collides with semi in Wildwood

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

WILDWOOD, FL – Police said a collision in Sumter County last week left a bicycle rider dead, the Villages-News reports.

The incident happened Sept. 10 in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 301 and County Road 471 in Wildwood. According to the Wildwood Police Department, a man was riding an e-bicycle at about 11 a.m. and was in the intersection when he he collided with a semi-truck.

The e-bike rider, a 32-year-old man from Wildwood, died at the scene. His identity was not released.

September 18, 2024

News: Florida Highway Patrol trooper among 2 injured in collision on US-19

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – A trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol was injured when his patrol car was hit by another vehicle along a highway median in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, according to WTVT.

The trooper had stopped in a marked FHP Dodge Charger at about 1:45 p.m. while monitoring traffic on US-19 near Parkview Boulevard and Klosterman Road.

A man driving a Mercedes sedan north on US-19 lost control of his car, rotated to the median, and rear-ended the patrol car, which then rotated to the southbound lanes of US-19. The Mercedes came to a stop in the northbound lanes.

September 17, 2024

News: Woman, 68, dies following collision with school bus in Sumter County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A driver who was involved in a crash with a school bus in Sumter County earlier this month has died of her injuries, WKMG reports.

The incident happened at about 8:35 a.m. on Sept. 6 on County Road 222 near County Road 462, west of U.S. 301. The Florida Highway Patrol said that the driver of a Ford Escort wagon was going east and failed to stop at a stop sign. The Ford entered the path of the school bus and the vehicles collided.

The Ford driver, a 68-year-old Bushnell woman, was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital. The FHP announced last week that the woman has passed away. The school bus driver, a 50-year-old Wildwood woman, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

September 16, 2024

News: Holiday man killed when motorcycle overturns on US Alt 19 in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – An accident in Pasco County early Thursday morning claimed the life of a motorcycle rider, the Tampa Free Press reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the rider of an E-ride Pro motorcycle was headed north on the west shoulder of US Alt 19 when the crash happened at about 12:25 a.m.

According to the FHP, the rider struck a ditch south of Manton Lane and the motorcycle overturned. The rider, a 26-year-old Holiday man, died at the scene.

September 13, 2024

News: 1 dead, 4 injured in crash involving car and tractor-trailer on SR-52

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

DADE CITY, FL – A crash in Pasco County involving a car and a tractor-trailer left one person dead and four others injured, Pasco News Online reported.

The accident happened Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 52 and Prospect Road in Dade City. The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of a Kia Forte was heading east on SR-52 when she tried to make a left turn under a flashing yellow turn signal.

The Kia crashed into a tractor-trailer going west on SR-52, causing the Kia to spin and roll over. The Kia driver, a 38-year-old woman from Hudson, died after being taken to an area hospital. Her three daughters, ages 16, 14, and 13, were seriously injured.

September 12, 2024

News: Driver extricated following 2-vehicle accident in Fort McCoy

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

FORT MCCOY, FL – Marion County Fire Rescue crews were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash in Fort McCoy on Sunday.

According to the MCFR’s Facebook post, units were dispatched to the 13000 block of Northeast Highway 315 shortly after 5:30 p.m. after 911 calls of a collision blocking traffic and causing debris on the roadway.

One person trapped in the wreckage was extricated by the rescue crews. The victim was declared a trauma alert and taken to an area hospital.

September 11, 2024

News: Spring Hill man killed when motorcycle crashes into traffic sign

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred last week in Pasco County.

Pasco News Online reports it happened Sept. 3 on Peace Road near Jackie Lane at about 12:25 a.m. According to the FHP, a man riding a Yamaha motorcycle was heading east when he was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The motorcycle went off the road and crashed into a traffic sign, causing the rider to be ejected from the bike.

The motorcyclist, a 43-year-ol man from Spring Hill, was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital.

September 10, 2024

News: Woman charged with DUI in Pasco County crash that killed motorcyclist

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HUDSON, FL – A motorcyclist was killed in an accident in Pasco County involving a suspected drunk driver, reports WFTS.

The collision occurred Sunday morning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and Sea Ranch Drive at about 1:10 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation determined that the driver of a Chevrolet Impala was going north on U.S. 19 when she turned left at the intersection under a flashing yellow left turn signal.

The Impala entered the path of a southbound Kawasaki motorcycle, which crashed into the car and then caught fire. The motorcycle rider, a 21-year-old man from Inverness, died after being taken to an area hospital.

September 9, 2024

News: Sumter County school bus hit by car after driver runs stop sign

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A car collided with a school bus in Sumter County on Friday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A report by WFTS states the incident happened along County Road 222 at about 8:35 a.m. State troopers learned that the driver of a Ford Escort wagon was going east and failed to stop at a stop sign. The Ford entered the path of the school bus and the vehicles collided.

The Ford driver, a 68-year-old woman, was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital. The school bus driver, a 50-year-old woman, was hospitalized with minor injuries.