CITRA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred last month in Marion County.
A WCJB report stated that the incident occurred on US 301 near Citra on the evening of Nov. 29.
According to the FHP, a woman was in the southbound inside lane of the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle in the same lane. She was then hit by multiple other vehicles.
According to a recent study by traffic safety technology provider Altumint, Florida has the third-highest rate of pedestrian traffic fatalities nationwide.
The Road Safety Report from Altumint looks at both county- and state-level accidents, offering an unparalleled look at Florida’s road deaths. Speeding accounts for 25% of road fatalities in the US, and most drivers in Florida acknowledge that they break the speed limit in school zones, endangering Florida’s school-aged children. To put this into perspective, if a pedestrian or cyclist is struck by a driver travelling at 40 mph, their chances for survival are approximately 10 to 15 percent.
Here are the areas in Florida that are the most dangerous following this 12-month reports from 2022:
LEESBURG, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident in Lake County on Friday night, WKMG reports.
According to the FHP, the victim was a 47-year-old man who was trying to walk across County Road 44 near Rhett Road. The pedestrian was struck at about 9:20 p.m. by a 2019 Chrysler 300 that was going east on CR-44. The victim, a Leesburg resident whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said he was not in a marked crosswalk at the time of the collision.
The driver and a passenger in the Chrysler were not injured, and stayed at the crash scene. State troopers are continuing their investigation into the incident.
HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident in Hernando County Monday morning.
A report by the Hernando Sun states that the incident happened at the intersection of US-41 and Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. According to the FHP, a woman was walking eastbound across US-41 shortly before 7 a.m. when she entered the path of a northbound Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and was hit by the vehicle.
The woman, a 40-year-old St. Petersburg resident, died after being taken to an area hospital. The pickup truck driver was a 25-year-old man from Brooksville.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – A pedestrian accident in Pasco County left a woman dead and her teenage son hospitalized, Pasco News Online reports.
The incident happened Sept. 30 on State Road 52 west of Ridgedale Drive. The Florida Highway Patrol said the 33-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy were trying to walk across the roadway from the south shoulder when they entered the path of an eastbound vehicle driven by a 27-year-old man. Both pedestrians were struck.
The woman was pronounced dead after being rushed to an area hospital, while her son was listed in serious condition.
On Thursday, a pedestrian was struck in what seems to be a suicide, according to officials, on Florida’s high-speed passenger rail service’s new extension to Orlando. Overall, since Brightline’s operations began six years ago, 99 people have died.
Before 9 a.m., a northbound Brightline train destined for Orlando struck a 25-year-old homeless man close to Fort Pierce on the Atlantic Coast, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Reports indicate that police believe the man walked in front of the train on purpose.
Brightline’s trains can move up to 79 mph (127 kph) in densely crowded places, 110 mph (177 kph) through less populated areas, and 125 mph (200 kph) through countryside in central Florida. The speed of this train is unknown currently.
MARION COUNTY, FL – A teenage girl was injured after being struck by a car in Marion County, and a search is continuing for the driver involved.
The Ocala News reports the incident happened Sept. 11 on State Road 40 near SW 185th Road at about 10:05 p.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 15-year-old victim was walking her dog on the southbound paved shoulder of the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle that traveled onto the shoulder.
An investigation indicated that the driver stopped briefly on the shoulder but then left the scene without providing any help or information.
HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – State troopers say a pedestrian was killed in an accident in Hernando County last week, the Suncoast News reports.
The victim was a 32-year-old man from Brooksville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Investigators said the man was walking north in the southbound lane of U.S. 41 near County Road 445 when the incident occurred last Friday.
The driver of a pickup truck was going south on U.S. 41 and while trying to negotiate a curve in the roadway, she struck the pedestrian.
Unreasonable speeding in school zones has always been a problem, but now a new state legislation permits local governments in Florida to set up cameras to catch violators.
One study revealed that more than 98% of automobiles passing a high school were going 10 mph faster than the posted speed limit, endangering nearby students and pedestrians.
The law states that if a driver is caught going 11 miles per hour over the school zone speed restriction, the registered owner of the car will be fined $100.
The cameras are activated 30 minutes before the start of school and 30 minutes after the last bell.
According to the law, there must be signs notifying motorists that cameras are in use, and there is a 30-day public awareness period during which motorists will get warnings prior to the imposition of fines.
Every morning throughout the school year, children across the U.S. wake up start their trek to school via automobile, bike, school bus, or on foot. To keep children as safe as possible, strict speed limits are posted and enforced near every school at time periods when children are coming and going.
When cars are moving slower, they have more time to react if a child suddenly steps or falls into the road. However, motorists who are not paying attention are a threat to everyone in their vicinity regardless of the posted speed limit. Even at 20 miles per hour, it takes a motorist about 23 feet to stop completely.
Here are a few tips to follow when driving near a school:
OCALA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol was on the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident in Marion County on Monday morning, according to WESH.
The victim was a 63-year-old Opa Locka man who was hit by a truck on Interstate 75 just before 6 a.m. The FHP said he was walking from east to west from the paved shoulder and entered the right lane of I-75 near the exit for SR-326.
The driver of a southbound tractor-trailer swerved but was unable to avoid hitting the pedestrian with the front fender. The driver lost control, went off the highway and onto the grass median, where the truck overturned and the tractor section hit a guardrail. A second tractor-trailer then collided with the first vehicle.
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