Child Ejected During Guardrail Crash on the Selmon Expressway

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 7, 2023

A local Florida family is in a state of shock this morning after their one-year-old relative sustained fatal injuries during a guardrail accident Sunday night on the Selmon Expressway in Hillsborough County.

According to early auto accident reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, it was a few minutes after 11:30 p.m. on March 5, 2023, when a 20-year-old woman from Brandon was driving a Hyundai Sonata in the westbound direction along the Selmon Expressway near mile marker 11 with her 27-year-old male passenger from Tampa and a 1-year-old toddler. For reasons that are currently unknown, the driver of the Sonata lost control of the vehicle, swerved over onto the shoulder of the road, and crashed into a safety guardrail on the side of the highway.

The impact from the collision caused the young child to be ejected from the Hyundai Sonata. Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol have since stated that the one-year-old was unrestrained at the time of the accident.

After the Hyundai Sonata crashed into the guardrail, the sedan was propelled back into traffic and into the direct path of a 47-year-old woman from Riverview who was driving a Nissan Pathfinder. The two vehicles collided before coming to a complete stop.

Hillsborough County emergency response teams and authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol were immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident. They transported the severely-injured one-year-old to the closest hospital but he sadly passed away shortly upon arrival.

The 47-year-old driver of the Nissan Pathfinder sustained minor injuries during the collision. Her two passengers, a 6-year-old girl and a 25-year-old woman, both from Riverview, were unharmed.

The 20-year-old driver of the Hyundai Sonata and her 27-year-old passenger were also injured, however, the severity of their injuries has not been disclosed.

This case is currently under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. No official charges have been filed at this time.

Under Florida law, “children age 5 and under to be secured properly in a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device.” Further information regarding child safety seats can be found on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website.

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.