Morning Accident on Sawgrass Expressway Claims Two Lives

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 17, 2015

An accident that occurred around 10:45 a.m. Thursday morning has claimed the lives of at least two victims. The accident happened on Sawgrass Expressway, just north of Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

According to Florida officials, a northbound semi tractor-trailer carrying cardboard boxes of produce clipped the rear of another northbound car. The driver of the semi then lost control of the vehicle as it started to swerve and headed towards the median. The semi hit the guardrail and overturned, trapping a vehicle with at least two occupants in it underneath. The tractor-trailer, along with its contents, caught fire and started a smoldering blaze.

The intense fire and weight of the load kept rescue workers from being able to reach the trapped victims. To make matters worse, there are no fire hydrants located along the section of Sawgrass Expressway where the incident occurred. Fire fighters had to haul tanks of 600-700 gallons of water from a nearby toll plaza to pour on the fire. In the end, there was little first responders could do for the accident victims. When the fire was finally under control and the semi tractor-trailer stood upright, the charred frame of the trapped vehicle was barely recognizable.

The driver of the semi-truck maintains that a vehicle in front of him slowed down quickly and that he had a full load and could not stop in time. This unfortunate incident resulted in the horrific accident that followed. The driver was treated at Broward Health Medical Center for injuries to his head and left leg and was released. This accident is still under investigation according to Florida officials.

The victims of this accident have still not been identified. Their remains will be transported to the Broward County Medical Examiner to determine their identities and notify next of kin. These individuals had no fault in Thursday’s incident, but were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. Along with thousands of other Florida residents, they were travelling our interstate system, trying to get to their destination and will never make it there.

Sometimes, horrific accidents happen to good people and it throws their lives into turmoil. A serious injury or death of a loved one can have lasting physical, psychological and financial impacts on entire families. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, please call us today at the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free consultation today.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.