Bus Rear-Ends Car, Kills Driver and Leaves Several Injured in Florida

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 6, 2017

A woman from South Carolina was killed in a weekend car crash while traveling in Florida. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the 81 year old woman died at the scene after her car crashed into a tour bus carrying 38 members of the Hiram (Ohio) college baseball team. The accident happened along Interstate 75.

The driver had a passenger in her vehicle, a 59 year old male from Savannah, Georgia. He was airlifted to Bayonet Point Hospital and treated for what has been listed as critical injuries. A third driver, a 45 year old female from Ocala, Florida, was taken to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for serious injuries. The 69 year old driver of the tour bus, from West Salem, Ohio, is reported to have been treated for minor injuries. None of the members of the baseball team were injured in the crash.

According to the FHP report, the crash happened shortly after noon near mile marker 287. The bus, a 2014 Pioneer, was heading south, driving behind the 2007 Lexus RX350 driven by the now deceased South Carolina woman. Ahead of the Lexus was the 2014 Hyundai Sonata driven by 45 year old Ocala, Florida native. Near the mile marker road construction was taking place and, due to lane closures, traffic began to slow as vehicles from three lanes merged into two. However, the bus failed to slow down, rear-ending the Lexus and causing a chain reaction that caused the Lexus to rear-end the Hyundai in front of her.

In the case at hand, as the tour bus driver failed to slow down as required both by the signs for lane closures and because of traffic slowing down, will likely be found to have acted negligently. As the driver was driving as an employee of the bus company (or the college), the victims – including the deceased driver and the injured passenger and driver, will be able to sue the company for damages. In the case of the deceased, the suit would have to come from her estate and under Florida’s wrongful death clause.

To learn more about how Florida’s personal injury laws could pertain to your case, call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. 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.