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Camp Lejeune LawsuitsAuto Accident | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 73
Seminole County Judge Takes Creative Approach to Curb Drunk Drivers
Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham fully supports anything that reduces the number of drunk drivers on our roads and believes that an 18th Circuit Court judge in Seminole County may be onto something. Judge Carmine Bravo has been famous for his creative approach to sentencing for quite some time, but the never-ending parade of DUI cases in his court has prompted him to hand down some unusual sentencing since 2004. Since then, he has sentenced those convicted of drunk driving and other traffic offenses to write 500-word essays about people whose names appear on the many roadside markers in Central Florida.
One Man Dead in Three-Vehicle Accident on Interstate 4
A three-vehicle crash on Interstate 4 near the St. Johns River Bridge has claimed the life of one man and injured a 23-year-old Deltona woman. According to a statement from the Florida Highway Patrol, the fatality was a 38-year-old Port Orange man. Troopers say the rear-end auto accident occurred around 1:15 a.m. on June 21 on I-4 on the Volusia-Seminole county line. The victim was driving his 1994 Jeep in the center lane when a 27-year-old Orange City man driving a 2001 Lexus approached from behind at a high rate of speed. Troopers say the man did not slow at all as he got closer to the victim and eventually slammed his Lexus into the rear of the victim’s Jeep.
Vote Delayed on Longwood Red Light Cameras
Longwood city officials have voted to delay a decision on installing four red light cameras until July 18. The vote came after Deputy Mayor Bob Cortes requested that city commissioners delay making a decision on the four planned photo-enforcement devices. Cortes voiced his concern regarding a proposed contract that Longwood would have to sign with Sensys America, a red light camera manufacturer. He said that the city would have to pay a $40,000 early termination fee for each camera installed inside the city limits as his primary reason for caution.
Rear-End Accident on Interstate 4 Claims Two Lives
A deadly series of collisions on Interstate 4 in Hillsborough County involving a Deltona man has left two people dead and others seriously injured. Florida Highway Patrol officers investigating the accidents say the series of collisions began when a 36-year-old Deltona man who was traveling eastbound on I-4 near Thonotosassa Road failed to notice that a car in front of his truck had slowed. A FHP spokesman said the man was driving a 2006 Ford pickup truck near mile marker 19 when he rear-ended a 2007 Toyota Camry that had slowed for unknown reasons.
Woman Killed When BBQ Smoker Detaches From SUV and Strikes Her Vehicle
A 41-year-old Orlando woman was killed on the evening of May 31 when a BBQ smoker being towed by a sports utility vehicle in front of her detached from its hitch and struck her vehicle. The accident occurred around 10:21 p.m. on Old Winter Garden Road near the intersection with Deleon Avenue when a smoker being towed by a 1998 Lincoln Navigator became detached. The smoker then traveled across Old Winter Garden Road and collided with the driver’s side of a 1988 Ford Mustang driven by the victim. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol say that the woman died at the scene from her injuries, and charges are pending against the driver of the SUV.
FHP Officers Alarmed by Rising Blood-Alcohol Levels in Drivers
A recent drunk driving accident illustrated the dangers that impaired drivers present to themselves and anyone else on the road. A drunk driver involved in an accident with a school bus in south Lake County this year had a blood-alcohol level that doctors say would be lethal to most people. The 54-year-old driver had a BAC of 0.426 percent, more than five times the 0.08 percent level that is considered legally drunk in Florida. Florida Highway Patrol officers were not surprised that the driver survived the accident, but were astonished that he survived imbibing a lethal dose of alcohol.
One Person Killed in Auto Accident That Closes Bridge
An accident on the afternoon of May 6 claimed the life of one woman and closed the bridge over the St. Johns River between Sanford and Geneva, according to accident investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol. Officers said the accident involved three vehicles and happened on State Road 46 around 1:30 p.m. when the 39-year-old victim drove across the centerline and struck an oncoming tow truck. Troopers say the victim was driving her 2000 Dodge Caravan eastbound across the bridge on S.R. 46 when she crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and sideswiped the westbound tow truck.
Judge Rules No Refunds for Orlando Red Light Runners
Recently, Orange Circuit Judge Frederick Lauten made a decision in a case regarding class-action status for drivers caught on camera while running red lights in Orlando. He ruled against drivers’ requests and potentially saved the city from having to refund more than $4 million in fines.
Ford Expands F-150 Airbag Recall
Ford Motor Company expanded a recall involving their F-150 trucks recently, following recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ford’s F-150 pickup truck has been the best-selling vehicle in North America for the last 34 years, but recent airbag problems have prompted the automaker to expand the original recall. Initially, Ford recalled 144,000 F-150s, but the recall now affects more than 1.32 million trucks manufactured between 2004 and 2006 for problems involving accidental airbag deployment.
Auto Accident Fatalities Lowest Since 1949
Even though Americans are driving more than ever, recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates indicate that fewer people died in auto accidents in 2010 than any year since 1949. A total of 32,788 people died in car crashes last year. This number is down three percent from 2009, and it’s the lowest number in decades. Barbara Harsha, Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, cited several contributing factors that led to the near-record low. She said advances in vehicle design, safety and passenger restraint and air bags as well as other factors such as rumble strips on highways and better pavement marking all combined to make driving safer.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.