ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – A car and a tractor-trailer were involved in a fatal collision in Alachua County early Wednesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
A report in the Gainesville Sun states the crash occurred on Interstate 75 northbound at mile marker 401 near the exit for U.S. 441.
The FHP said a woman was driving a sedan north on I-75 in the middle lane shortly after 2 a.m. when she turned into the path of a northbound semi-truck while trying to reach the scene of a previous crash.
LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal single-vehicle accident that occurred in Lake County early Saturday morning.
According to WKMG, a 27-year-old man was driving north on County Road when the incident occurred at about 5:12 a.m. The FHP said the driver lost control of his 2016 Nissan Versa near Dairy Road and ran off the road, where the car crashed into a tree.
The driver, an Umatilla resident, died after being transported to an area hospital. He was not believed to have been wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
GAINESVILLE, FL – A driver died after his vehicle was involved in a collision at an intersection in Gainesville on Thursday night, according to a report in the Gainesville Sun.
State troopers said the driver of a Ford sedan failed to stop at a stop sign at State Road 24 and Northeast 63rd Avenue at about 7:23 p.m. The Ford then entered the path of a Nissan sedan going north on State Road 24, and the front of the Nissan hit the left side of the Ford.
The driver of the Ford, a 62-year-old Tampa man, was pronounced dead after being taken to UF Health Shands Hospital. A passenger in his vehicle, a 44-year-old Gainesville woman, was listed in critical condition. The driver of the Nissan, a 29-year-old man from Gainesville, was in serious condition at the same hospital.
SUMTER COUNTY, FL – State troopers released details of a fatal multi-vehicle collision that took place in Sumter County on Tuesday afternoon.
The Villages News reports a man was driving a Subaru Outback on State Road 50 when he lost control of the vehicle. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Subaru entered the path of a Chevy C1500 pickup truck and collided with the vehicle nearly head-on. The Subaru kept going and crashed into a Honda Pilot.
The Chevy pickup truck overturned multiple times and the driver, a 49-year-old man from Lacoochee, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Subaru, a 51-year-old Dade City man, the driver of the Honda, a 45-year-old man from Mascotte, and two female passengers in the Honda were not injured.
In just the first week of 2024, there have already been 11 fatal crashes in Central Florida, three of which involved wrong-way drivers.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Central Florida has had an issue with these kind of collisions for a long time.
At least six significant collisions involving drivers traveling the wrong way have been covered by Eyewitness News in the past three months; every one of these crashes had fatalities except one.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, new technology is still being implemented, including camera detection systems that instantly notify law enforcement when cars are driving the wrong way and LED-highlighted wrong-way signs. In addition, if a wrong-way driver is identified, the system—officially named the Wrong Way Vehicle Detection System—automatically initiates message board notifications on roadways.
According to FDOT, 19 of these systems have been deployed throughout the area’s I-4 corridor since 2019, with more being added each year.
Our Florida Car Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton want to encourage all drivers to practice responsible driving as we get further into 2024. Most drivers that drive the wrong way are distracted, impaired, tired, or just unaware of their surroundings – all of which are extremely dangerous when behind the wheel of a car.
What should a driver do if they see a wrong-way driver alert?
When a motorist approaches a WRONG WAY sign or becomes aware that they are traveling in the incorrect direction, what should they do?
To stop a crash:
When a driver travels the wrong way on the road, it can easily result in head-on collisions, causing severe injuries and fatalities. As one would expect, head-on collisions are among the most catastrophic forms of car accidents because both vehicles are traveling at high speeds and collide directly. Continue reading
A driver violated Florida’s Move Over Law last week, which resulted in a St. Johns County deputy getting hit by a minibus and suffering a broken hand and shoulder injury.
On Dec. 27 around 6 p.m., the deputy pulled over a man for reckless driving on US 1 and International Golf Parkway. As he approached the vehicle, a minibus in the right lane clipped him.
The accident could have been much worse, which is why everyone needs to be aware of the Move Over Law. You must pull over if you notice a construction worker, tow truck, road ranger, or emergency vehicle on the side of the road while you are driving. As of Jan. 1, the law has been extended to cover all disabled vehicles.
What happens if you cannot safely move over? You must reduce your speed to at least 20 mph below the legal limit. You must reduce your speed to 5 mph if the restriction is less than 20 mph.
According to state records, there have been 1,700 crashes since 2015 because of people failing to move over. As a result, there have been at least 8 fatalities and over 100 major injuries.
The purpose of the Move Over Law is to protect everyone who is stopped on the side of the road, including emergency medical personnel, police officers, construction workers, sanitation workers, utility workers, emergency personnel, and drivers of broken-down cars or those involved in wrecks. It is crucial to abide by the law to protect the lives of those who are stopped on the side of the road as well as to avoid consequences like fines and jail time. Continue reading
DUNNELLON, FL – State troopers were called to the scene of a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Marion County on Tuesday evening.
According to the Ocala StarBanner, the crash took place in the area of County Road 484 and Southwest 134th Street in Dunnellon shortly before 6 p.m.
An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol found that the driver of a Chevy Equinox SUV was headed west on CR-484, crossed over the center line, and sideswiped an eastbound GMC Sierra pickup truck. The Chevy then collided head-on with an eastbound GMC Denali pickup truck that had been behind the Sierra.
OCALA, FL – A driver trying to elude law enforcement authorities was killed when his vehicle crashed in Ocala on New Year’s Eve, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.
The incident began at about 11:30 p.m. when Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies tried to pull over a pickup truck on Maricamp Road that matched the description of a vehicle linked to a burglary/disturbance in Silver Springs Shores. The sheriff’s office said the driver took off with a deputy in pursuit, and the pickup hit the deputy’s vehicle.
The pickup driver continued on Southeast 22nd Avenue and then across East Fort King Street, where the vehicle went into a business parking lot and crashed into an office building that houses a real estate company and an investing office.
MARION COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a two-vehicle collision in Marion County on Saturday night left both drivers dead.
The Ocala StarBanner reports the accident happened at Southeast Maricamp Road and Pine Trace in Silver Springs Shores. Marion County Fire Rescue Crews responded to the scene at 9:32 p.m.
An investigation found that the driver of a Chevy Equinox was headed east in the westbound lane on Maricamp Road, and collided with a westbound Nissan Murano. The driver of the Chevy, a 23-year-old Ocala woman, and the driver of the Nissan, a 44-year-old Summerfield woman, were both pronounced dead at the scene. A 2-year-old child in the Chevy was being taken to UF Health Shands Hospital for treatment.
MARION COUNTY, FL – One person was killed and four others were injured in a collision in Marion County on Saturday morning, WJXT reported.
The crash happened at the intersection of US-441 and Northwest 85th Loop at about 9:30 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation, a woman was driving east on NW 85th Loop and made a left turn in the southbound lanes of US-441, violating the right of way of a pickup truck.
The pickup hit the left side of the woman’s car. The woman, a 76-year-old resident of The Villages, was pronounced dead at an area hospital. She was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, the FHP said.
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