Rush Hour Crash Snarls Florida Traffic on State Road 19
A crash at the intersection of State Road 19 and Dead River Road had traffic backed up in both directions for nearly 90 minutes early Wednesday morning. The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m., right in the middle of rush hour traffic. A northbound GMC pickup, driven by 70-year-old James Rodney, was attempting to make a left hand turn when it collided with a southbound Toyota Corolla. The impact of the crash caused the Corolla to spin around in the intersection, but did not flip over. Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene shortly after the accident to check out both parties. Neither was seriously injured.
According to a police spokesperson, the driver of the GMC pickup was ticketed for failure to yield the right of way. The driver admitted that he did not see the oncoming Corolla. Fortunately, the outcome of this split-second mistake was not any worse than it was. Instead of a glancing blow, the Corolla could have hit the pickup broadside, which would have been more serious for both parties involved.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, head-on collisions are the most deadly type of accidents that occur in the state of Florida. Although there are many causes behind vehicle accidents, distracted driving is one of the most common, and also one of the easiest types to avoid. Cell phone use has received a lot of attention in the media lately, specifically texting. No one should ever text and drive. And talking on a cell phone is also a dangerous distraction that nearly everyone agrees on. But there is another reason lots of motorists drive distracted, and everyone who has ever gotten behind the wheel is guilty of this at one time or another. People today lead busy lives, and it is common to think about other things that the task at hand while driving. If you have ever driven somewhere, gotten out of your car, and had a difficult time remembering the route you took to arrive at your destination, you were driving distracted. The mind goes into auto-pilot while performing a task that has been accomplished many times before. It just takes one unexpected move from another motorist, a pedestrian, even a slight change in the surroundings such as a construction zone or unexpected obstacle in your path, for a potential hazard to quickly change into something that causes an accident.
There are many steps that everyone can take to avoid many potential accidents, including staying alert and monitoring your surroundings. Avoid texting or taking phone calls while driving, and always buckle up. These are good driving habits everyone must practice every time they take the keys in hand.
If you, or a loved one have been injured in a Florida car accident, contact us at the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. – 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).
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.