Florida Highway Patrol

A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol has announced that a Seminole County Sheriff’s Deputy was killed recently in a motorcycle accident north of Orlando on December 26. FHP accident investigators say the 53-year-old deputy was on his motorcycle pursuing a speeding driver on Maitland Boulevard at Gateway Drive when a Volkswagen Jetta turned directly in front of him, causing the deputy’s motorcycle to collide with the Volkswagen. Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham was saddened to hear about this accident, citing another tragic instance where a vehicle turned directly into the path of a rider, giving little or no time to react.

FHP investigators say the driver of the Jetta was attempting to turn left onto Gateway Drive from eastbound Maitland Boulevard when it turned in front of the deputy’s motorcycle. The collision caused the Jetta to flip over onto its top, crushing the deputy and his motorcycle.

A witness described the horrific motorcycle accident, saying, “It sounded like an explosion, or a big rig truck hitting something solid. It was loud. It wasn’t just a screeching tire. It was all of a sudden, it was a fatal impact, and you’re seeing the devastation.”

Officers said that the deputy’s lights were flashing at the time of the accident but did not know if his siren was on or how fast he was going while pursuing the speeder. Flags at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and other county agencies were flown at half-staff to honor the fallen deputy.

This tragic accident is all too common in Florida. Our state is among the worst in the country for motorcycle accidents each year. To illustrate the scope of the problem in our state, consider that in 2010, there were 7,484 motorcycle accidents in Florida, which killed 383 people and injured at least 7,400 riders and passengers. Many of these victims were injured or killed in accidents similar to this one in which a car turns directly into the path of a motorcycle.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need an effective, experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer to protect your rights, advise you of your legal options, work hard to help you seek compensation and inform your decisions through this difficult time. Call Orlando motorcycle accident attorney James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation and get the skilled and experienced legal representation you deserve.

The media over the last several months has focused on the fact that Florida leads the nation in pedestrian accidents every year. This article from WBMM News 13 reports that two people were struck and killed recently in two separate pedestrian accidents in Florida, adding to the state’s ignominious reputation as the most dangerous place in the country for pedestrians.
Read the rest »

Ocala.com reports that a three vehicle trucking accident on Interstate 75 early on the morning of December 1, 2009, sent one person to a local hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening. Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol said that one of the vehicles involved in the accident was a semi truck loaded with 150 Christmas trees. When the article was published, troopers were not yet certain about the cause of the auto accident, but they believe that the accident began when a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck broke down in the right lane of I-75.
Read the rest »

This article in the Hometown News reports that Florida hit-and-run accidents are on the rise, and one victim is trying to understand how a person could hit him with a vehicle and then flee the scene to avoid responsibility. His ordeal began on Nov. 12 when he was riding his motorcycle to an Ormond Beach restaurant to have dinner with his father and brother. He was attempting to turn into the restaurant’s parking lot when the driver of a dark colored Jeep Grand Cherokee drove onto Clyde Morris from Coquina Point right into his path. With another car on his right side, the motorcyclist had nowhere to go to avoid the accident.
Read the rest »

Ocala.com reports that a man died in a motorcycle accident involving several motorcycles. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol say the man was riding in a group of motorcycles traveling north together on Interstate 75 when a chain reaction motorcycle accident occurred just south of mile marker 358. The FHP official said that the motorcycle accident began when a bag fell from one of the motorcycles and landed in the road.

Read the rest »

A Florida motorcycle accident in early November that claimed the life of a Gulf Breeze man has resulted in charges for an 18-year-old Navarre woman. The Northwest Florida Daily News reports that the accident occurred late in the afternoon on Nov. 2, 2009, on State Road 87. The 64-year-old motorcycle accident victim was pronounced dead at the accident scene after his 2004 Honda motorcycle struck the right side of a Chevrolet Tahoe that turned in front of him.

Read the rest »

A prominent and very well known Lake County attorney is under investigation for his involvement in a fatal motorcycle accident near Mount Dora. The lawyer’s company won approval for a huge development called the Hills of Minneola in 2008. The attorney is suspected of striking and killing a Mount Dora man while making a left turn into the path of the motorcycle the man was riding. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol said that the 61-year-old victim was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle around 8:50 p.m. when the motorcycle accident occurred east of Mount Dora at the intersection of Majestic Oaks Drive and Wolf Branch Road. The collision pushed the victim’s motorcycle onto Majestic Oaks Drive.

Read the rest »