Motor Vehicle Accidents

Published on: April 2, 2013

95 Vehicles Involved in Crashes on Interstate in Southwest Virginia, Three Dead

Nearly one-hundred vehicles were involved in a massive line of crashes along a foggy, mountainous stretch of Interstate 77 near the Virginia-North Carolina border early Sunday afternoon. Three people were killed and twenty-five were injured in the accidents. Traffic on Interstate 77 in southwest Virginia was backed up for nearly eight miles in the southbound lanes and authorities closed the northbound lanes so that emergency personnel could reach the injured and deceased.

According to Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller, there were seventeen crashes involving ninety-five vehicles within a one mile stretch near the base of the Fancy Gap Mountain. The area was covered in a coat of heavy fog when the crashes began around 1:15 p.m. According to a representative from the American Red Cross, this area is known for “fog banks” and there are signs in advance warning people of the dangerous conditions. However, the problem is that people are seeing clearly and then, seemingly out of nowhere, they are surrounded by fog. Although there have been at least six pileups since 1997 similar to the one on Sunday, none of those resulted in as many deaths.

Since about 6 a.m. Sunday, there were message boards along the highway alerting drivers to the severe fog. Most of the crashes resulted from drivers going too fast for the conditions. At the middle of it all was a crash that involved up to eight vehicles, some of which caught fire. One of those burned motor vehicles was a tractor-trailer. Several other vehicles were crumpled and badly charred. Motorists stuck in the backed-up traffic commented on how the fog made it impossible to see anything nearby. One of the motorists said that one of the vehicles just looked like “a chunk of metal.”

3 Killed in 95-vehicle pileup at Virginia-NC line, www.palmbeachpost.com March 31, 2013

Published on: March 26, 2013

Deadly Collision in West Palm Beach Caused by Excessive Speed

by Friedland | Carmona

James T. McLendon, a seventeen-year-old suburban West Palm Beach resident, died early Monday evening as a result of a car accident caused by speeding. McLendon was driving at an excessive speed east on Belvedere Road sometime after 4 p.m. Monday when he swerved to avoid hitting one car and then collided with a truck travelling west. The accident occurred at the intersection of Belvedere Road and Sansbury’s Way.

Wellington resident Cathy Manriquez, sixty, was making a right turn from Sansbury’s Way onto eastbound Belvedere Road when McLendon was approaching the intersection in his 2002 Mazda 626. Manriquez turned onto the inside lane. McLendon saw Manriquez, but was travelling at too high of a speed to stop, so he swerved to try and avoid hitting Manriquez’s 2002 Toyota Camry. This swerving caused McLendon’s automobile to travel across the median and into oncoming traffic.

Royal Palm Beach resident Bobby Moore, fifty-seven, was entering the left turn lane in his 1996 Kenworth commercial truck as McLendon drove over the median. Moore and McLendon collided. McLendon was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, Natalie Pastorius, seventeen, had to be cut from the vehicle. She was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center in serious condition. Manriquez was transported to Wellington Regional Medical Center, but has since been released. Moore suffered no injuries in the accident. A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office traffic report stated that all drivers and passengers were wearing seat belts. Alcohol or drug use is not suspected in the crash.

Authorities: 17-year-old killed after speeding, causing collision with truck on Belvedere Road, www.palmbeachpost.com March 26, 2013

Published on: March 21, 2013

Witnesses to Fort Lauderdale Plane Crash Say Plane was Headed Back to Airport

by Friedland | Carmona

Three South Florida men lost their lives Friday evening in Fort Lauderdale after the plane they were aboard crashed into a warehouse parking lot. The plane came down in a busy industrial area lined with tightly packed warehouses and stores between Northwest 53rd Street and Powerline Road. At least one dozen witnesses that were driving down Interstate 95 or working nearby placed calls to 911 to report the crash and the aftermath.

Wallace “Wally” Watson, sixty-six, his son, Kevin W. Watson, thirty, and Steven Waller, sixty-five, boarded the 1972 Piper Cheyenne plane allegedly to take a short test flight around 4:30 p.m. Friday evening. They had not long taken off before the plane started to experience technical difficulties. Witnesses say the plane appeared to be turning back towards the airport when it fell from the sky, first tilting sideways and then crashing into the parking lot. Many of the witnesses described a huge cloud of black smoke that came up from the parking lot after the crash. One woman that was close to the crash scene stated that she saw parts of the plane explode soon after it crashed.

In the coming days, federal investigators will look for the cause or causes of the crash, which is the fifth crash involving a plane using the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport since 2004. The National Transportation Board has taken over the investigation and will closely examine whether a mechanical failure or power outage caused the plane to tilt sideways and crash into the parking lot.

Callers to 911 report plane was attempting to head back to airport before Fort Lauderdale crash, www.palmbeachpost.com March 20, 2013

Published on: March 13, 2013

Two Crashes on Busy Stretch of Kentucky Highway Killed 6, Injured 5

by Friedland | Carmona

Six people are dead and five injured after two multi-car crashes on a Kentucky highway on Saturday, March 2. Kentucky State Police continue to investigate whether distracted driving caused a tractor-trailer to slam into an SUV filled with eight people and possibly triggered a serious accident on the other side of the highway. The tractor-trailer crash occurred late in the morning and was followed fifteen minutes later by a multi-car crash on the other side of Interstate 65. The second crash injured three.

Although it was snowing that morning, Master Trooper Norman Chaffins stated that weather was not a factor in either accident. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Ibrahim Fetic, forty-seven, said that he saw the SUV in front of him and he hit his brakes, but not in time to avoid impact. The crash occurred just fifteen miles from a crash in 2010 where eleven people died after a tractor-trailer crossed the median and hit a van. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the truck driver in that crash was distracted by his cellular phone. Police are currently looking at Fetic’s driving logs and examining a blood sample collected at the scene.

The six people killed in the SUV were members of an extended family from Wisconsin. The driver and his wife, along with a family friend, and two foster children were among the dead. The two survivors were also foster children. Both were transported to hospitals, one with a broken spine and burns and the other with cuts to the back of his head.

Pair of Ky. highway crashes kills 6, injures 5, www.palmbeachpost.com March 3, 2013

Published on: February 25, 2013

Former EMT Supports Stricter Enforcement Of Ambulance Regulations After His Own Tragic Accident

by Friedland | Carmona

Matt Deicher, a 42-year-old former EMT, cannot recall the events of July 31, 2003, but he does know that he left his home that afternoon on an emergency call that changed his life forever. Deicher, along with two other EMTs and 52-year-old patient, David Nicewander, were headed north on a rainy stretch of highway in Wisconsin without sirens or lights. Suddenly Nicewander lost consciousness and the driver of the ambulance, Jason Toboyek, activated the sirens and picked up speed. As the highway pavement shifted from concrete to blacktop, Toboyek felt the back of the ambulance tilting towards the passenger side. Toboyek lost control of the ambulance and it slid into the grassy median on Interstate 39 near Rothschild, Wisconsin. The ambulance proceeded to flip over and land back on all four wheels.

Toboyek immediately reached for the radio to report an accident. He then rushed to the back of the ambulance to check on Nicewander, Deicher, and Mary Beth Lingl, the third crewmember. Deicher was found buried under a pile of medical equipment gasping for breath. Toboyek reached to check Nicewander’s pulse, but was unable to find one. Nicewander was pronounced dead at the scene after having suffered massive head injuries. Deicher spent the next six months in two different hospitals recovering, only to find out that he was paralyzed from the neck down.

Deicher was informed, after a two-month investigation, that a number of factors contributed to the crash. These factors included worn tires, the rain storm, the newly paved highway, and the ambulance’s speed. The most interesting of the factors, the worn tires, now has Deicher speaking out for steps to be made to prevent crashes like the one that took away his ability to walk. Two days before the crash a state inspector had ordered the ambulance’s failing tires be replaced. Deicher is arguing for greater enforcement of violations like the failing tires. He believes accidents like his could be prevented if inspectors strictly enforced these violations. Deicher also discussed the importance of maintaining ambulances and how his former employer, the Mosinee Fire Department, had a no-tolerance policy for vehicles that fell short of maintenance standards. While individual crews are responsible for daily maintenance of the ambulances, one individual is responsible for biennial inspections statewide. The survivors of the crash still wonder about why they did not notice that the tires needed to be changed? And why the state inspector did not immediately order the ambulance of the road until the tires were changed?

After crash, former EMT hopes for safer ambulances, www.palmbeachpost.com February 21, 2013

Published on: February 21, 2013

Five Dead, Two Injured After Small Plane Crashed in Georgia

by Friedland | Carmona

Investigators searched Georgia woods west of Augusta today looking for clues about why a small jet overshot an airport runway and crashed, killing five and injuring two. The jet, which carried seven individuals, including five who worked for the Vein Guys clinic based in Augusta, crashed late Wednesday night about thirty miles west of that city. It is not known if any of the five employees were among the survivors. Dr. Steven Roth, one of the co-founders of the Vein Guys clinic, was aboard the plane with two ultrasound technicians, a nurse anesthetist, and a secretary. Dr. Roth regularly flew to Vein Guys clinics located in Georgia and Tennessee.

The two individuals who survived were transported to local hospitals. Assistant County Fire Chief Stephen Sewell told the Augusta Chronicle that the two survivors were the pilot and a passenger. No additional information was provided about those aboard the plane. One of the survivors is a man who remains in critical condition. No information has been provided about the other individual’s location or condition. The five who died in the accident were taken for autopsies and have yet to be identified.

The plane had taken off from Nashville, Tennessee Wednesday evening and crashed while attempting to land at the Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport located in Thomson, Georgia. The plane crashed on the opposite side of the highway from where the runway ends. The crash caused a brush fire near the scene and power outages in nearby homes. One couple that lives close to the airport stated that their “lights blinked and went off, and all of a sudden we heard this noise. It sounded like thunder that just kept going on and on.”

NTSB: Plane aborted landing, hit utility pole, www.miamiherald.com February 20, 2013

Published on: February 19, 2013

Red-Light Camera Debate Continues in Tallahassee

by Friedland | Carmona

The Florida Legislature continued its debate last week over whether red-light cameras should or should not be allowed in intersections. The debate has been on-going since state lawmakers passed a bill legalizing the installation of red-light cameras on Florida streets two years ago. Thursday, a House committee approved a new bill introduced to ban the red-light cameras by a narrow 10-8 vote, which shows the deep divide and controversy over this issue. A similar bill was introduced last year, but it lacked the support necessary to be passed.

The new bill, sponsored by Miami Democrat Daphne Campbell, has drawn a number of questions, comments, and concerns from fellow lawmakers. State lawmakers, as well as constituents, have raised concerns over Campbell’s motives in introducing the bill. Her husband has racked up five red-light violations since 2010. Campbell argues that her husband’s violations have nothing to do with her interest in the bill and that it is her constituents who have requested that the red-light cameras be banned. She further stated that the only purpose of these cameras is to make money, not to ensure safer intersections. Another representative, Miami Republican Carlos Trujillo, supports Campbell’s efforts and he argues that the red-light cameras are not actually making intersections safer. No similar bill in the Senate has been introduced thus far.

Last year alone, Florida cities and counties made over forty-six million dollars, while the state collected fifty-one million. However, it is up for debate whether the red-light cameras actually made intersections safer for drivers. The state released a report last year of data compiled from seventy-three Florida law enforcement agencies, with forty-one reporting that accidents in their jurisdictions are less frequent at intersections equipped with the red-light cameras. Eleven agencies stated that accidents were more frequent at these intersections and twenty-one agencies claimed that there was no increase or decrease in the number of accidents at intersections after red-light cameras were installed.

Debate over red-light cameras heats up in Tallahassee, www.miamiherald.com February 17, 2013

Published on: February 4, 2013

8 dead in Southern California After Another Serious Bus Crash

by Friedland | Carmona

After a day of skiing at Big Bear Mountain in Southern California at least eight are dead and more than thirty-five injured. A Scapadas Magicas LLC bus driver lost control of the vehicle when its brakes began to malfunction while driving down State Route 38 near Yucaipa, California. By the time it came to rest, the bus laid sideways blocking both lanes of travel and its front end was crushed.

Thirty-eight people loaded onto the bus in Tijuana, Mexico early Sunday morning to head to Big Bear for a day of skiing. The crash occurred as the bus was headed down the mountain, on its way back to cross the border. The bus driver told investigators that as he descended the mountain, the brakes gave out. The bus rear-ended one car, flipped, and then struck a pickup truck carrying a trailer.

The severity of the crash made it difficult for first responders to determine how many were injured or dead. Michelle Profant, California Department of Transportation spokeswoman stated “[i]t’s really a mess up there with body parts.” Passengers were transported to a number of area hospitals suffering from injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. One of those hospitals, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, stated that it had treated six passengers, two who were discharged Monday morning, two in stable condition, and two who remained in critical condition. This crash came less than a day after a bus in Boston, Massachusetts carrying high school students slammed into an overpass.

8 killed in Calif. bus crash of Mexican day skiers, www.miamiherald.com February 3, 2013

Published on: January 23, 2013

More Red-Light Cameras May Be To Come For Fort Lauderdale Intersections

by Friedland | Carmona

Fort Lauderdale commissioners are in the process of deciding whether to place red-light cameras at an additional eight intersections throughout the city in an effort to not only catch more drivers running red lights, but also to hopefully decrease the number of automobile accidents. In 2010, the city placed red-light cameras at six intersections, and since September, it has added eleven more. According to Commissioner Romney Rogers, the cameras seem to be “preventing intersection collisions” at most of the intersections equipped with the technology.

Commissioners were presented with a proposed list of intersections that the red-light cameras would be added to in May, but they refused to approve the entire list at that time because they were not sure of the cameras’ effects. Concerns have been raised about whether the cameras have a negative impact on tourism and if they are actually reducing the number of collisions.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recently released a survey showing that the presence of red-light cameras actually decreased the number of rear-end and side-impact crashes at intersections. Contrary to these findings, Fort Lauderdale officials stated that the number of crashes at the original six intersections equipped with the cameras has doubled since their installation. Some commissioners are still convinced that the cameras promote safe driving and will likely vote to approve the eight additional red-light cameras. Although the additional cameras come at a hefty price of $1.6 million, the city estimates that its revenues as a result of citations that will be issued will surpass that expense.

Fort Lauderdale may add more red-light cameras, www.sun-sentinel.com January 21, 2013

Published on: January 22, 2013

Police Delay Complicates Tow Truck Death Investigation

by Friedland | Carmona

Police delay has further complicated the investigation into the death of the Associate Dean at Fort Lauderdale’s Keiser University. Last Wednesday, 39-year-old Elias Konwufine died at Broward Health Medical Center within hours of being run over by his own vehicle as a tow truck driver attempted to remove it from Konwufine’s driveway in the Sienna Green condominium complex of Lauderhill. The man’s death has now turned into a full-blown traffic homicide investigation, which may have been irreparably tainted by the police’s failure to secure the crime scene and tow truck.

There are conflicting accounts of what exactly led to Konwufine’s death, but it is clear that it began when a tow truck driver arrived at Konwufine’s residence in an attempt to remove his vehicle. His vehicle was supposedly sticking out of his driveway into the sidewalk area in violation of condominium association rules. The tow truck driver claims that Konwufine “jumped on the running board of the tow truck and was pounding on the window.” The driver claims that he saw Konwufine “get back off the truck,” but then he felt “a bump,” which is presumably when Konwufine was run over by his own vehicle. Other witnesses state that this is not an accurate depiction of what occurred that day.

As the tow truck drove away, Konwufine’s wife saw her husband laying on the sidewalk with blood coming from his forehead. An ambulance and police soon arrived. Both departed the scene at the same time, police claiming that they believed the injuries were not that serious. The police did not return to the scene until after they had learned of Konwufine’s death. Konwufine’s vehicle remains in the police impoundment lot, while the tow truck has not been seized by police. Investigations continue in the case.

Tow truck death investigation may have been complicated by police delay, say lawyers, www.sun-sentinel.com January 21, 2013