Car Accidents

May 1, 2023

News: Wesley Chapel woman dies after crashing into pickup on Interstate 75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – One driver was killed and another injured when their vehicles collided in Marion County Wednesday night, WKMG reports.

The accident occurred along Interstate 75 southbound near mile marker 354. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 19-year-old woman was driving south on I-75 at about 9:10 p.m. when she drove off the road.

A pickup truck was parked in the emergency lane, and the woman’s car struck the back of a trailer attached to the pickup. The woman, a resident of Wesley Chapel, died in the wreck. State troopers said she was wearing a seat belt. A 39-year-old Dade City man who was the driver of the pickup sustained minor injuries.

April 27, 2023

News: Collision between car and semi on Florida Turnpike kills 1, injures 2

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 26, 2023

News: Pickup truck driver dead after collision with semi in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 25, 2023

The Most Dangerous Roads in the Tampa Bay Area and SW Florida | Florida Car Crash Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

S. Route 19 Embassy Blvd – Marine Parkway: This is a 4.4-mile stretch of highway that runs through New Port Richey in Pasco County that saw 19 fatalities in 2022 alone.
S. Route 19 Denton Ave – San Marco Dr: Also located in Pasco County, this 4.9-mile stretch of roadway saw 25 traffic deaths in 2022.
S. Route 19 54th Ave N. – Queensboro Ave S: This 4.7-mile stretch of highway in St. Petersburg saw 20 traffic deaths in 2022.
S. Route 19 Lake Tarpon Dr – Royal Blvd: This 4.4-mile stretch of roadway in Pinellas County saw 17 car crash deaths in 2022.
S. Route 41 23rd Ave – Pearl Ave: This deadly stretch of roadway located in West Bradenton saw 22 traffic fatalities in 2022.
Florida State Road 580 Webb Rd – W. Waters Ave: This 4.8-mile stretch of roadway in Tampa saw 18 car accident deaths in 2022.

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

April 25, 2023

News: 1 dead, 1 injured in rear-end collision on the Florida Turnpike

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 24, 2023

News: 2 teens seriously injured following car accident on I-75 south

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 21, 2023

News: Driver killed when pickup truck crashes into tree on County Road 475

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 19, 2023

News: Driver of stolen hearse involved in multi-vehice crash in Gainesville

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

April 14, 2023

News: 2 dead after collision between car, truck on State Road 54

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL – Two people died following a collision between a car and a truck in Pasco County last week, Pasco News Online reports.

The accident happened in the area of State Road 54 and Morris Bridge Road on the morning of April 7. The Florida Highway Patrol said an 81-year-old woman was driving a car west on State Road 54 when she turned into the path of an eastbound tractor-trailer.

The truck crashed into the car, and both vehicles wound up in the southeast part of the intersection. The driver of the car, a Zephyrhills resident, and her passenger, a 38-year-old New York resident, died after being taken to an area hospital. Another passenger in the car was hospitalized in serious condition.

April 13, 2023

News: Woman fatally struck by her own SUV on street in the Villages

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a woman died following an accident involving her vehicle in Sumter County Saturday afternoon.

According to WTSP, the incident happened on Fringe Tree Trail near Knotty Pine Terrace in the Villages shortly before 4 p.m. The FHP said a 62-year-old woman driving a sport utility vehicle had backed out of a driveway and crashed into a vehicle that was parked on the opposite road of the road.

The woman then pulled back into the driveway to check on the damage and got out of her SUV but reportedly did not shift the vehicle into park, according to state troopers. The SUV ran over the woman and she was killed. The victim’s identity was not immediately released.