Distracted driving is an issue on roads throughout the nation. The roads of South Florida are not an exception. In some cases the behavior can lead to injury inducing accidents. The worst of them can lead to death.
Last week a crash on Interstate 75 was to blame for the death of a 66-year-old man who unexpectedly encountered an accident scene and was unable to stop. The incident involved three vehicles and was commenced when am 18-year-old woman was attempting to pickup her cellphone that had dropped. When while reaching for the device she began to move out of her lane, she then overcorrected causing her SUV to flip several times.
Apparently not seriously injured, the teen driver got out of her vehicle to call for assistance. It was while she was on the phone that a Suburban driven by the man who died encountered the scene. Unable to stop in at timely fashion he ran into the first SUV. The suburban was impacted again when a truck failed to stop in time and ran into it. That truck also rolled over.
The women in the other vehicles involved in the crash were injured, though not seriously, and sought medical attention at an area hospital.
A car accident such as this one can be complicated to reconstruct. Once the investigation into it is complete it is possible that criminal charges could be filed against the individual involved for the incident. In addition, a civil wrongful death action could be filed as well.
Source: Bradenton Herald, “Fatal accident snarls I-75 traffic for hours in northern Manatee,” Elizabeth Johnson, Nov. 7, 2012