Orlando Man and Passenger Killed in Pileup Involving Multiple Vehicles

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 2, 2020

According to the preliminary collision reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, two Orlando residents were killed and three other individuals were seriously injured after they were all involved in a five-car crash in Polk County over the weekend. Officials are still working to determine the events that led to this deadly incident which left two tractor-trailers and three sedan-type vehicles entangled in a fatal multi-vehicle accident.

It was approximately 10 a.m. during the morning rush hour on Friday, July 31st, 2020, when emergency dispatchers first began to receive calls regarding an auto accident along State Road 400 involving multiple vehicles. Troopers with the FHP indicated that a 56-year-old Canadian semi-truck driver and a Lakeland man in his sedan were driving westbound side-by-side down the multi-lane interstate when, for reasons that are currently unknown, the driver of the sedan suddenly drifted into the center lane and collided with the big rig. The force of impact sent the sedan careening over a cable barrier located within the center median.

It is unclear how fast the sedan was driving at the time of the accident, however, the vehicle’s momentum was so great that it continued to propel the car forward on its devastating journey toward the eastbound lanes of Interstate 4. It then started a chain-reaction collision by hitting the sedan being driven by the aforementioned Orlando resident, which then caused an Estero woman to rear-end the Orlando sedan. Meanwhile, a Tampa semi-truck driver was unable to avoid all of this mess and collided with the Lakeland sedan.

Based on the magnitude of this multi-vehicle pileup, many different Polk County agencies responded to the site of the crash for assistance. Upon arrival, paramedics and emergency response teams discovered multiple victims suffering from a variety of injuries ranging in severity. The 37-year old Orlando driver was declared dead at the scene, while his 37-year-old passenger was transported to a local hospital where she passed away shortly thereafter. The Lakeland man who allegedly caused this collision was also severely injured, although any further details about his condition have been undisclosed. The Estero woman and the two semi-truck drivers suffered only minor injuries.

Sources:

• TWO DIE, THREE INJURED FROM FIVE-VEHICLE CRASH ON I-4
• 2 dead after Polk County crash involving 4 vehicles, troopers 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.