Recently, a Sunday morning crash on notorious I-75 left several dead, and even more injured, after a 3-vehicle collision set off a chain of accidents within a span of only a few moments. The accident started when a vehicle hit a parked truck tractor car hauler that had pulled to the side of the road due to a mechanical issue. The driver of that tractor-trailer exited his truck, and in the meantime, a Nissan hit the parked trailer from behind, and both the driver and one of his passengers were thrown from the vehicle. The Nissan ricocheted back into traffic and was hit by a third vehicle, a Toyota Avalon, leaving its driver and passengers with minor injuries. The second passenger of the Nissan received serious injuries in the initial collision and was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. At some point during the scenario, the driver of the tractor trailer was also struck, leaving him dead, in addition to the driver and passenger of the Nissan who were pronounced dead at the scene due to their injuries after being thrown from their car. Additional secondary collisions happened among vehicles immediately following the incident, but all resulted in property damage only.
This entire, tragic scenario holds many important lessons for those driving in and around the Tampa and Sarasota area. This region is continually undergoing construction and can be incredibly hazardous, especially in the late night or early morning hours when tiredness, light glare, and construction lights can throw off your field of vision and distort the road ahead. While there are many theories surrounding the incident mentioned above, there are many factors that will never be known, such as why the Nissan veered off the road in the first place. Perhaps the driver thought it was an upcoming exit, perhaps in the glare of the night, he thought the taillights of the trailer were actually still moving, or perhaps he was just tired. While we won’t know for sure, we do know that we can prevent these scenarios from happening to ourselves, and to those we care about, by taking some precautions.
When driving at night, especially in an area like Tampa or Sarasota, be prepared for lots of construction and/or bright lights. Not only can these distort your view of the road, but they can also be distracting, leading to poor driving decisions. They also aggravate your eyes, especially if they are already worn out and tired, so do your best to only be behind the wheel if you are well rested and ready to think with a clear head. If you feel exhaustion taking over, it’s worth taking an exit and finding a place to rest, even if it’s just for a little while, to give your eyes a break. Finally, never assume that the lights you see ahead are moving/stopped. If you see lights ahead, slow down at a safe rate of declaration to avoid rear-end collisions, and take the time to be confident in whether or not the car ahead of you is moving or stopped before you make the decision to come to a complete stop or to accelerate and continue on. Quick, rash decisions when driving in these conditions can be deadly.
If you or someone you love have been injured in a collision and are battling to get the compensation you deserve. Sessums Law Group is ready to help. We have extensive experience in personal injury and accident cases, and we will stand in your corner to get the results you need. You don’t expect to get in an accident, but when the unexpected happens, WE STAND FOR YOU!