South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Earlier last month, video of a serious Florida car accident occurring at a toll booth spread across the internet, with most viewers surprised by the fact that no one involved in the accident was killed. According to a local news report, the accident occurred on the Florida Turnpike, near St. Cloud in Osceola County, in one of the road’s several pay booths.The video shows a white sport-utility vehicle traveling toward the toll booth at what seems like full-speed. As the SUV approaches the booth, it does not slow down, takes out several of the warning cones placed in front of the booth, and collides head-on with the cement barrier that divides two of the toll booths.
After the initial collision, the car is thrown upward into the air as it catches fire. However, immediately after impact, one of the passengers in the car was catapulted through the front windshield of the vehicle onto the pavement some 60 feet away from where the accident occurred. The video, which may be too graphic for some viewers, shows the passenger’s head narrowly miss several obstacles before coming to a rest against one of the toll booths.
Miraculously, all five people inside the SUV survived with injuries of various seriousness. Police conducted an investigation following the accident, and believe that driver-fatigue was responsible for the crash.
Fatigued Driving Is a Major Cause of Florida Car Accidents
Along with distracted driving and speeding, fatigued driving is one of the top three causes of Florida car accidents, with an estimated 6,000 deaths per year resulting from tired drivers. Indeed, a fatigued driver is less able to pay attention to the road, suffers increased reaction times, and is more likely to make bad decisions while behind the wheel.
In all but the rarest of cases, motorists can anticipate driver fatigue coming on and should take reasonable precautions to ensure that they do not become so fatigued as to doze off while behind the wheel. This includes switching drivers or pulling off the road to get some rest.
While commercial drivers are at the highest risk to experience driver fatigue, studies have shown that 1 in 25 adult drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once in the past 30 days. Common causes of fatigued driving, other than the obvious cause of not getting enough sleep, include sleep disorders and taking certain medication that may result in sudden-onset fatigue.
Have You Been Injured in a Florida Car Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a Florida car accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. The dedicated South Florida personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A. have decades of experience representing injury victims in a wide range of Florida personal injury matters, including accidents caused by distracted and fatigued drives. To learn more, call 877-448-8585 to schedule your free consultation today. Calling is free, and we will not bill you for our services unless we are able to successfully assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve.
More Blog Posts:
Accident Victim’s Failure to Provide Immediate Notice of Case May Preclude Recovery, South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog, published June 19, 2017.
Court Limits Employer’s Duty in Recent Case Stemming from Pedestrian-Railroad Fatality, South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog, published July 5, 2018.