Lake County Utility Workers Killed in Traffic Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 16, 2015

Three utility construction workers were killed in a chain reaction auto accident in Lake County, Florida. The accident demonstrates the vulnerability of construction workers. They often work in areas where the only thing that separates them from automobile traffic is a couple of plastic pylons.

On April 2, 92-year-old Ira Caldwell, of Clermont, Fla., was stopped at Cagan Crossings Boulevard and attempted to pull onto U.S. 27 in a Cadillac sedan around 1:45 p.m. While attempting to get onto the road, Ira sideswiped a Chevrolet Lumina, which was driven by 20-year-old Alexandra Schultz, of Clermont. The impacted caused the Lumina to swerve off the highway.

A utility crew was making repairs to a utility pole on the side of the road. The Lumina smashed into the three workers. Jeremy Bradshaw, 35, Dewey Summerlin, 34, and Jeffrey Estes, 40, were all pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The three were part of a utility crew from Service Electric Company that was based out of Georgia.

The accident shut down U.S. 27 for hours, as troopers tried to reconstruct the crash and determine who was at fault. Troopers believe that rather than pulling into the closest lane on the highway, Ira tried to reach the center lane when the accident occurred. That is against the law in Florida. A vehicle is required to pull into the closest lane when turning onto a street. "Florida law requires you to make a right turn to the right-most lane, and we believe he went into the center lane," a state trooper told local media outlets.

The highway patrol says that charges are pending against the 92-year-old driver. They say that he should have waited until traffic cleared before pulling onto the highway. There was a chance that the Ira Caldwell could lose his driving privileges, as it was believed that his old age had caused his driving skills to be diminished.

Alexandra suffered minor injuries in the accident. She was taken to South Lake Hospital where she was treated and released. Ira was not injured in the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida motor vehicle accident, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. immediately at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.

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.