Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

June 20, 2025

News: St. Petersburg man dies after colliding with truck tractor on U.S. 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – A fatal accident shut down a stretch of U.S. 301 in Alachua County on Thursday morning, according to WCJB.

The wreck occurred along U.S. Highway 301 near Southeast Hawthorne Road. The Florida Highway Patrol said a man was driving north in the left inside lane of the highway at about 8:30 a.m. His vehicle collided with a truck tractor that was making a turn, with his vehicle hitting the rear axle of the truck’s trailer.

The driver of the first vehicle, a 25-year-old St. Petersburg man, died in the crash. He was wearing a seat belt at the time, state troopers said.

June 19, 2025

News: Pedestrian fatally struck by semi in Gainesville hit-and-run incident

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is trying to track down the driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision in Gainesville Sunday morning, reports WCJB.

The incident happened off Interstate 75 near Williston Road. State troopers said a pedestrian walking near an exit ramp of the interstate was struck by a vehicle and suffered fatal injuries.

The driver left the scene of the crash. Witnesses described the vehicle involved as a black semi-truck. No details were released on the identity of the victim.

June 18, 2025

News: Motorcycle rider, 19, dies after colliding with vehicle at Gainesville intersection

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – A motorcycle and a vehicle were involved in a deadly collision in Gainesville last week, according to a WCJB report.

The incident happened June 11 at the intersection of West Newberry Road and Northwest 62nd Street. Police said a 19-year-old was riding a motorcycle east on West Newberry Road shortly before midnight and went through a red light.

The motorcycle crashed into a vehicle that was turning onto West Newberry Road from Northwest 62nd Street.

June 17, 2025

News: Motorcyclist dies after colliding with street sign, tree on Blanton Road in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A motorcycle accident in Pasco County last week claimed the life of the rider, reports Pasco News Online.

The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the incident June 9 on Blanton Road just east of Lake Iola Road just before 2:25 a.m. The FHP’s initial investigation found that the motorcyclist was heading west and was not able to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The motorcycle overturned, went off the road, struck a street sign and a tree on the shoulder.

The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man from Dade City, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the fatal wreck remains under investigation by the FHP.

June 16, 2025

News: Elderly woman dies after being struck by vehicle on U.S. 301 in Summerfield

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMMERFIELD, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred earlier this month in Summerfield, the Villages-News reports.

The incident occurred June 8 along northbound U.S. 301 near SE 169th Street in Summerfield. According to the FHP, an 81-year-old woman was walking westbound on the highway near the Shady Oaks 55+ Mobile Home Park at about 1:30 a.m. and was hit by a Hyundai Elantra. The pedestrian, a Summerfield resident, died at the scene.

The driver of the Hyundai was a 24-year-old woman from Ocala.

June 13, 2025

News: 1 dead, 3 injured in Hernando County crash after driver goes through stop sign

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A vehicle collision at an intersection in Hernando County left one person dead and three others injured early Sunday morning.

A report by WFTS states that two vehicles crashed at the intersection of Lema Drive and Spring Hill Drive. The Florida Highway Patrol determined that the teenage driver of a Hyundai Santa Fe was heading south on Lema Drive and went through a stop sign. As the Hyundai entered the intersection, it crashed into the side of a Chevy Malibu going east on Spring Hill Drive.

The Malibu then collided with a utility pole and a tree. The Malibu driver, a 36-year-old woman from Spring Hill, died at the scene. The Santa Fe driver, an 18-year-old man from Port Richey, and his two female passengers, ages 17 and 18, were hospitalized with minor injuries.

June 12, 2025

News: Land O’Lakes man, 21, dies in fiery car wreck on U.S. 41 in Spring Hill

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAND O’LAKES, FL – A fiery car accident on U.S. 41 in Spring Hill early Wednesday morning left a driver dead, state troopers said.

Pasco News Online reports the fatal crash happened near Goodman Drive just before 3:20 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the driver of a Tesla Model 3 was going south and was unable to negotiate a curve in the road. The Tesla went off the roadway, collided with a utility pole and a tree, and then caught fire.

The driver, a 21-year-old man from Land O’Lakes, died at the scene. His identity was not immediately released.

June 11, 2025

News: Driver charged with DUI manslaughter in death of e-bike rider in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – Authorities made an arrest in connection with an alleged drunk driving crash in Marion County that claimed the life of a bicycle rider.

According to the Ocala StarBanner, the incident happened Saturday morning on County Road 25 near Southeast 80th Court shortly before 2 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol determined that a man was riding an electric bike on the westbound shoulder of the roadway. At the same time, the driver of a rented 2025 Chevrolet Malibu was traveling west and hit the bicycle from behind.

The bike rider, a 37-year-old Ocala man, was ejected and suffered fatal injuries. The Chevy driver lost control of the vehicle, which went off the road, struck a utility pole and then a concrete post before overturning.

June 10, 2025

News: Woman sentenced on DUI charge for Gainesville crash that killed bicycle rider

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – Sentencing was handed down for the driver involved in a fatal bicycle collision in Gainesville in 2022, police said.

According to a Facebook post from the Gainesville Police Department, 32-year-old Margaret Caitlin Walker of Gainesville was sentenced to eight years in prison on a charge of DUI Manslaughter.

The crash occurred on the night of Nov. 27, 2022 on South Main Street. Investigators learned that Walker was driving her 2017 Volvo SUV southbound when she struck the victim, a University of Florida graduate student. The impact sent the bicyclist into nearby woods, where he was pronounced dead.

June 9, 2025

News: Wrong-way collision on U.S. 27 in Marion County leaves 1 driver dead, 1 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – A wrong-way crash between two vehicles in Marion County Thursday morning left one of the drivers dead and the other injured, according to WKMG.

An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol determined that a man was driving west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 27 in Ocala at about 12:15 a.m. The vehicle collided head-on with an eastbound SUV near NW 95th Avenue Road.

The driver of the first vehicle, a 27-year-old man from Miami, died at the scene. The other driver, a man from Perry, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. The FHP said both drivers were wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal wreck.