Illegally Operated ATVs Cause Accidents throughout Central Florida

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 1, 2019

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are attempting to formulate a plan to cut down on the number of individuals illegally driving ATVs such as dirt bikes and four-wheelers along highways and other primary roads. According to numerous news stories and police reports, groups of ATVs have recently been caught on camera creating severe road hazards as their drivers weave in and out of traffic, cut off cars, and tear through busy intersections while attempting to pull off “stunts” such as wheelies.

In a very recent incident of this sort that was caught on camera by a helicopter pilot working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a group of seven or so ATVs can be seen traveling down State Road 91 when, for reasons that are not clear, several of the riders decided to make an illegal u-turn. As a result of this, one of the riders of a Yamaha ATV pulled out directly into the path of a red Toyota Corolla. The video shows that the driver of the Corolla did not have enough time to respond to the sudden intrusion of the ATV and wound up striking the smaller vehicle. After hitting the ATV, the driver of the Corolla lost control of their vehicle, left the road, and collided with an electronic billboard.

Before police could arrive at the scene, the rider of the ATV that was struck by the car was collected by another ATV rider and taken from the scene. Using methods that were not discussed in the report, the authorities were able to identify the ATV rider who caused the accident – a Miami resident – although it is not clear if this person was subsequently located and detained. It is also not clear if the driver of the Corolla or any of their passengers were injured as a result of the collision with the ATV, or the following crash into the electronic billboard.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are currently working to formulate the best plan for combating this sudden increase in illegal ATV activity that puts so many motorists throughout Orange County in danger.

Sources:

• Driver injured after ATV drivers merge into traffic on Florida Turnpike, officials say

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.