Orlando Personal Injury Law Firm
Fifteen Injured in Separate Orlando Lynx Bus Accidents
Investigations are still underway in connection with two separate but similar accidents on Wednesday, July 13 involving Lynx buses. The bus accidents lead to hospitalization for 15 Orlando-area residents, and several more passengers received treatment for minor injuries at the scene. Police say the first accident occurred near the intersection of North Orange Blossom Trail and Rosamond Drive when a car belonging to a 51-year-old woman rear-ended the bus, which had stopped to unload passengers. Emergency response personnel transported eight people with injuries from this accident to area hospitals. The driver of the car was taken to Florida Hospital in serious condition. A spokesperson with the Florida Highway Patrol said they expect to file careless driving charges against her.
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.
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.
Two Killed in Separate Crashes at Same Site in Volusia
A motorcyclist and an occupant in a vehicle that struck the motorcyclist were killed recently in a bizarre series of accidents that claimed two lives in Volusia County. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol say the two accidents occurred on State Road 415 near Reed Ellis Road south of Osteen. The first accident occurred around 12:35 a.m. when the motorcyclist crossed the centerline of S.R. 415 and was struck by a pickup truck driven by a Sanford man. The collision killed the rider, a 48-year-old Macon, GA man, who was trapped under the 2008 Mazda truck along with his 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Fatal Truck Accident Closes Highway 331
All lanes of Highway 331 were closed recently after a fatal truck accident. The accident occurred just north of the Clyde Wells Bridge near the intersection of LaGrange Road and Highway 331 around 4:30 p.m. one recent Friday, bringing heavy rush hour traffic to a complete halt. One accident witness said a dump truck crashed into a Ford Explorer. The Explorer’s driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and a passenger was taken to an area hospital for treatment for undisclosed injuries. Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham would like to remind his readers that dump trucks and other heavy trucks outweigh passenger vehicles by tens of thousands of pounds. In the event of a collision, the occupants of smaller vehicles often suffer critical, even fatal, injuries that change the course of their lives forever.
Woman Struck and Killed in Pedestrian Accident
A woman was struck and fatally injured on the morning of Friday, May 13 while crossing Orange Blossom Trail in south Orange County. Florida Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the accident, but they say that the 41-year-old victim was walking along Orange Blossom Trail around 5:14 a.m. when she stepped in front of a 2011 Ford F-250 that was heading southbound on Orange Blossom Trail near La Quinta Drive. Police say the truck was driven by a 38-year-old Orlando man, and charges are pending against the man during investigation. The woman died at the scene from her injuries.
Sunbather’s Arm and Hand Run Over By Beach Patrol Officer
A Volusia Beach Patrol officer making a U-turn while on patrol recently ran over and injured a woman’s arm and hand. Florida Highway Patrol and Volusia officials investigating the incident say it happened on the morning of Friday, May 13. The victim, a 22-year-old Ohio woman who was visiting the area, initially refused an ambulance ride to the hospital, but later drove herself to Halifax Health Medical Center to receive treatment. The Beach Patrol officer was ticketed for careless driving.
Police Looking for Suspect in Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Accident
Daytona Beach Police are looking for information in connection with a hit-and-run motorcycle accident that injured two riders on the afternoon of May 8. Police say the accident occurred around 3:55 in the afternoon at the intersection of Oakridge Boulevard and Peninsula Avenue. They say a Honda Accord was heading eastbound on Oakridge and ran a red light, causing the two victims on the motorcycle to strike the side of the Accord. The pair on the motorcycle had been traveling north on Peninsula when the Accord sped through the intersection. The driver of the Accord quickly left the accident scene.
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.
Lawmakers Push for Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act
Several recent high-profile bus accidents, including one in New York in March that killed 15 people and injured 17 more, has prompted lawmakers from Ohio and Texas to press other members of Congress to pass the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) spoke before fellow lawmakers recently and urged them to pass the Act, which would improve driver training and motorcoach safety. The Act was first proposed in 2007 after a bus accident in Atlanta that killed five members of the Bluffton University baseball team.