Jacksonville Single Car Crash on I-295 Kills Woman
A 23-year old woman was killed on the morning of Saturday July 25 in a single car accident in Jacksonville along I-295. The Florida Highway Patrol says the woman was traveling south on Interstate 295 in the left lane when she hit the guardrail then crossed all southbound lanes of traffic and drove into a patch of trees near Old St. Augustine Road. Based on a story, her car hit a tree then caught fire. The woman, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. The accident happened at 9:10 am, FHP reports.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of the woman for their tragic loss. Friends and family writing into the news accounts say she was the mother of three boys. I offer my deepest sympathies to them as they go through this difficult time.
This week the Florida Highway Patrol plans to partner with a safe driving program in Lee County, Stay Alive…Just Drive! To promote safe driving practices with a focus of eliminating distractions. Though we don’t know what happened with the woman in the above incident, it is possible she was distracted by a radio, a cell phone, or changing a CD. Sometimes people actually read the newspaper while driving. Some are distracted by Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
The American Automobile Association reports somewhere between 25 to 50 percent of all motor vehicle crashes have a distracted driver as their root cause and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports there were 37,313 traffic fatalities last year. A Prevention Magazine survey finds that more than 85 percent of 100 million cell phone users talk on the phone while driving, putting many at risk to the susceptibility of auto accidents in Florida and throughout the nation.
What can we do? Personally, you can stop talking on the phone while you drive. Even a hands-free set takes concentration, as we now know from government statistics withheld by NHTSA. Have the passenger use the GPS or pull over.
While 40 states have proposed some legislation to curb the use of cell phone in cars, the $40 billion a year cell phone industry has lobbied to keep those laws off the books. 14 states have banned text messaging while driving. Five states have banned hand-held cell phone use by all drivers, teens and adults. Most telling of all is that no state completely bans all types of cell phone use for all drivers.
When someone gets behind the wheel of a car, their primary responsibility is to operate the vehicle safely. It’s easy to be tempted to take your eye off the road to answer a phone or send a quick text message, but driving takes your full attention.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Florida, the experienced Jacksonville car accident lawyers at Farah and Farah can help defend your right to receive compensation for financial strains associated with your injury caused by a negligent driver. Contact our personal injury law firm today for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.
