Pedestrian Accident | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 18
Orlando Man Struck By Tractor-Trailer in Fatal Pedestrian Accident On I-4
An Orlando man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer recently in yet another Central Florida pedestrian accident. The accident occurred around 10:15 a.m. one recent morning on Interstate 4 near Polk Parkway. Florida Highway Patrol troopers say that the 26-year-old victim was standing in the eastbound lanes of I-4 when the 48-year-old driver of the semi saw him and tried to avoid striking the man. After being stuck by the semi, the man was thrown into the next lane, where he was struck by a Ford Fusion and a Ford Focus that were unable to avoid striking the victim. He was pronounced dead from his injuries at the accident scene. Troopers are still investigating the accident but say that charges are pending against the driver of the tractor-trailer.
Orlando Launches Campaign to Make Streets Safer for Latinos
As Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham and other local residents know all too well, our area is the most dangerous metropolitan area in the country for pedestrians, especially Latinos, who make up the vast majority of victims. In an effort to make area roadways safer for everyone, Orlando officials recently launched a new campaign named Best Foot Forward.
Best Foot Forward Announces Initiative to Make Florida Streets Safer for Pedestrians
Florida and especially the Orlando area have an extremely high rate of pedestrian accidents. Orlando’s metro area is regularly at the top of lists of U.S. cities for accidents involving pedestrians. There is an average of one pedestrian killed every week and two suffering injury every day. An initiative led by Bike Walk Central Florida has been formed in order to deal with this problem. Partners in the coalition include local government, law enforcement agencies, Orlando Health and Winter Park Health Foundation. The group is planning on reducing the amount of pedestrian deaths and injuries by ten percent each year through education, enforcement and street improvements.
Vacationing Couple Struck in Daytona Beach Shores Pedestrian Accident
A Georgia woman was killed and her husband injured when they were struck by a pickup truck while crossing the street to have dinner at a nearby restaurant in Daytona Beach Shores. The investigation into the fatal pedestrian accident is still underway, but police say that the 67-year-old victim and her 62-year-old husband were a Woodstock, Georgia, couple vacationing in the area. Police say the couple was crossing Atlantic Avenue around 12:10 p.m. when they were struck by a Ford ranger driven by a 64-year-old Daytona Beach Shores man.
Recent Editorial Sheds Light on Orlando’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Accident Problems
A recent editorial published in the Orlando Sentinel caught the eye of Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham recently and resonated so strongly in him that he wanted to share it with his readers. The editorial was written by a local bicyclist named David Moran, who was inspired to craft his opinion after a recent well-publicized bicycle accident where a bicyclist was struck and killed by a fire truck. An excerpt from Mr. Moran’s editorial included the following:
Florida Crossing Guard Struck By Car
An Orange County crossing guard was struck by a car and injured one recent morning while on the job at 39th Street and Orange Blossom Trail. Florida Highway Patrol officers investigating the incident say that the accident occurred on the morning of October 25 when the 60-year-old crossing guard was struck and injured by a car driven by a 24-year-old Orlando man who was making a left turn onto Orange Blossom Trail. Officers say children were crossing the street when the accident occurred, and witnesses say that when the woman saw the car heading toward the crosswalk, she put up her hands to protect the children. She fell to the pavement after impact and was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment for undisclosed injuries. Charges are pending against the driver of the car.
Orlando Remains Most Dangerous for Pedestrians
An article published recently in The New York Times regarding the Orlando metropolitan area’s ignominious ranking as the most dangerous place in the country for pedestrians comes as no surprise to Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham. It comes as no surprise to the millions of others who live in the Orlando area either. Transportation for America, a non-profit safety advocacy organization, conducted a recent survey that led to the article. They found that Orlando-Kissimmee ranked first out of 52 metro areas in the country for pedestrians killed by motor vehicles, with more than 550 people killed in pedestrian accidents from 2000 to 2009. The survey found that the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area ranked second, followed by Jacksonville and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, respectively.
Special Town Built for Kids in Florida Teaches Pedestrian Safety
Orlando personal injury attorneys, public safety officials, Central Florida law enforcement agencies and many others are very excited about a new way to teach children about pedestrian safety. The Children’s Safety Village in Orlando has taught at least 8,000 children from Central Florida counties how to be safe when crossing or walking near streets and highways, and the program has inspired other communities to build their own safety villages. Safety village designers are proactively protecting the lives of area children and helping to combat the Orlando area’s reputation as the most dangerous place in the country for pedestrians.
Orlando City Council Member Endorses Project to Make Streets Safer for Pedestrians
Orlando City Council member Daisy Lynum’s recent close call while crossing the street has given her a new sense of urgency about making Central Florida streets and highways safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Early last summer, she was crossing a street in a crosswalk in west Orlando when she was nearly struck from behind by a car. The near-accident drove home what Orlando personal injury attorneys and concerned citizens have been saying for years. They have been urging policymakers on the state and local level to finally do something about our area’s reputation as the most dangerous place in the country for people who prefer to walk or ride their bikes to get around.
Orlando Man Struck and Killed By Deputy Pursuing Illegal Street Racers
A tragic pedestrian accident has claimed the life of a 21-year-old Orlando man who stepped off a median on Wetherbee Road into the path of car driven by an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy. The deputy was trying to stop an illegal street race around 3 a.m. early on the morning of July 3. Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has seen tragic accidents like this happen many times over the years, and they all share a common thread – reckless and completely unnecessary and negligent driving. He knows that the sheriff’s deputy is as much of a victim as the unfortunate pedestrian who appeared to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when officers were trying to apprehend drag racers.
James O. Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.