2009 October Archive

A recent article published in the Gainesville Sun reports that two Santa Fe College students were killed in a car accident early in the morning of September 27, 2009 when they rolled their vehicle while fleeing from a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy. Accident investigators say the single-car accident occurred at the intersection of County Road 329 west of NE 30th Court in North Marion County. The 18-year-old driver of a black 1999 Chevrolet Camaro and his 18-year-old passenger were reportedly traveling eastbound on CR 329 at a very high rate of speed around 1 a.m.

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This East Volusia News article describes a recent motorcycle ride for charity in honor of Bruce Rossmeyer, the founder of Biketoberfest. Over 1200 motorcyclists and passengers took part in the ride through Deland on October 11 in the 15th annual Daytona Harley-Davidson Ride for Children. The annual event raises money for Camp Boggy Creek, which has helped more than 40,000 children struggling with chronic or life-threatening diseases and their families since the facility opened in 1996. Mr. Rossmeyer was one of the founders of the annual ride and Camp Boggy Creek. He was also one of the driving forces behind Biketoberfest—a very popular annual event in Daytona and surrounding communities. He also owned several successful Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealerships.

Many of Rossmeyer’s family members rode at the front of the motorcade of motorcycles, and his daughter Mandy Rossmeyer Campbell noticed a woman standing on the side of U.S. 92 with a handmade sign with an angel’s halo and Bruce Rossmeyer’s name.

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A Florida retiree has had enough of distracted drivers who text while driving their vehicles at 70 mph and more on Interstate 95.

“I think that a law should be passed that it is a major offense for any phone or texting to be done while driving,” said the man who does not believe motorists should so much as munch a sandwich behind the wheel.

Driving while distracted is a growing problem in Florida and throughout the rest of the country as some drivers answer cell phones and text messages instead of concentrating on driving their vehicles safely. The Obama administration recently banned federal employees from texting and driving. Members of Congress have said that law enforcement officials and the American public must team up to discourage distracted driving for everyone’s safety.

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A seven-year-old boy took his turn at the wheel of a FedEx truck and blew the horn on a vehicle parked near Wiles Elementary School recently. He was taking part in an exercise sponsored by Safe Kids of North Central Florida that was part of the 10th annual International Walk to School Day. This article published in the Gainesville Sun said that the boy and most of his classmates either ride their bikes or walk to school on a regular basis. Each child taking their turn behind the wheel of the truck gave them an idea of what drivers can and cannot see while traveling.

I could only see her head,” the second-grader said. “I know when I see a big truck like that to stand back so they can see me.”

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A late September article on nwfdailynews.com describes a Florida motorcycle accident that resulted in two people suffering injuries. The article claims that the motorcycle accident occurred on US Highway 98 around 3 pm on September 27 when two motorcyclists were traveling eastbound and one changed lanes at the same time as the driver of a Honda Accord to pass a truck. The motorcycle that changed lanes was driven by a 53-year-old Georgia woman who immediately had to take evasive action when the driver of the Accord braked to avoid hitting the motorcyclist. Florida Highway Patrol officers investigating the accident say that the Georgia woman lost control of her 2004 Harley Davidson, which overturned and slid more than 300 feet.

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A WBBH Channel 2 report describes a car accident that claimed the lives of two nuns from Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Cape Coral. According to law enforcement officials investigating the accident, it occurred sometime on the afternoon of September 27, 2009 near US 41 and Gran Via Trail. Police say that a 60-year-old North Fort Myers man who attempted to make a left turn onto Gran Via Trail against a red light caused the auto accident.

In turning against the light, the man turned his Chevrolet Tahoe into the path of three nuns in a Toyota Prius who were southbound on US 41 reportedly returning from a retreat. A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol said, “The white car, it appears that they never did brake, so it was a direct impact, it was a lot of trauma involved.”

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A recent article describes a trucking accident that led to the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses in Santa Rosa. The tanker truck was carrying anhydrous ammonia on the morning of September 16, 2009 on Avalon Blvd. near the I10 Intersection with exit 22. As the driver attempted to turn north off I10 onto exit 22, the driver lost control of the semi. It overturned on the shoulder of Avalon Boulevard. Homes and businesses within half a mile of the crash were evacuated by emergency response personnel.

When exposed to air, anhydrous ammonia is transformed from a gaseous state to a liquid and becomes a serious breathing hazard that can cause severe blisters and burns to exposed skin. After the trucking accident, law enforcement authorities closed I10 from exits 17 to 26 and re-routed motorists onto Highway 90. Schools within a three-mile radius were also evacuated, a measure consistent with overturned tanker trucks with potentially ruptured tanks of hazardous chemicals.

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