Wrong-way Collision in Lake County Fatally Injures Engaged Couple

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 7, 2020

On July 2nd, 2020, shortly before the holiday weekend was set to start, a fatal wrong-way auto accident in Lake County claimed the lives of two individuals who were engaged to be married. Preliminary reports from the local authorities indicate that a pickup truck driver was traveling at a high rate of speed on State Road 50 when he hit the couple head-on, causing the deadly crash.

According to investigators with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, 49-year-old James Joiner was erratically driving his pickup truck westbound along S.R. 50 this past Thursday afternoon, while reaching speeds upwards of 70 mph – 20 mph over the posted legal limit. It is worth noting that there are many access points along this route that would have allowed Mr. Joiner to turn his vehicle around and face it in the correct direction of traffic. Instead, for whatever reason, he continued to drive in the wrong direction down the highway. Upon approaching the eastern entrance of the Waterside Point housing subdivision, he nearly collided with another vehicle head-on, which caused them to veer off the road and into a ditch. Thankfully, the other driver was able to react in enough time to avoid the crash. Unfortunately, the second car in the pickup truck’s path would not be so lucky.

It was only a matter of minutes between the near-miss and the actual accident that claimed the lives of Calvin Landers and his fiancée, who were tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lake County officers indicated that the victims were returning from a funeral for Mr. Landers’ father in their white Honda Accord when the soon-to-be-wed couple neared the intersection of State Road 50 and Galaxy Drive at the same time as Mr. Joiner’s truck. The pickup, still driving in the wrong direction of traffic, crashed head-on into the couple’s sedan, killing them instantly. It is unknown if Joiner was injured in the collision, but he has since been arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter. He currently remains in jail and his bond has been set at $30,000.

Although there are many reasons as to why these types of wrong-way auto accidents occur, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or perhaps a medical emergency suffered by the driver, the precise cause of this collision has yet to be determined as it is still under investigation.

Sources:

• Calvin Landers, fiancee killed in wrong-way accident
• Engaged couple killed in wrong-way Lake County crash, deputies 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.