San Jose Fatal Crash
A crash Tuesday night has left one 20-year-old dead and hospitalized two others in the San Jose area of Jacksonville. A man was riding in a sedan when his vehicle was T-boned by a van about 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Old Kings Road and St. Augustine Road.
The man died at Shands-Jacksonville. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family.
T-bone crashes occur fairly often. In this case, the vehicle had turned left and into the path of the van. The van’s driver had minor injuries as did the vehicle driver.
Generally in a t-bone accident someone has run a light or stop sign at a fairy good speed. These can be the most devastating accidents. More often than not there are fatalities involved because the side of the vehicle has less protection than the front or rear.
The moving violation brings a $204 fine.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says of the 13 crash types identified, running traffic control accounts for 22 percent of all crashes that led to occupant injuries in 45 percent of red-light running crashes, compared to 30 percent in other types of crashes.
Cameras at intersections tend to reduce the number of crashes by 25 to 30 percent, according to a 2005 review. In 2006, almost 900 people in the U.S. were killed and an estimated 144,000 injured in red-light running that resulted in crashes.
Motorists in Florida receive a fine of $204 and three points on their license.
What can consumers do?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performs side-impact T-bone accident tests at 38.5 mph on new cars sold in the U.S. Look for a one to five-star rating on any vehicle you are considering buying, as well as ratings from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.
For survivors it is very important to seek medical care immediately. Soft tissue injury is often hard to detect and may get worse with time. And those are exactly the types of accidents where you find that the insurance company may not believe you are really injured. It is then you find they are not your friend or good neighbor. Consult with a professional Jacksonville auto accident attorney to explore your options rather than go it alone.
Even if you decide not to hire an attorney, you never want to go in unarmed into a situation where the insurance companies hold all of the cards and know the tricks of the trade.
Source reports: http://www.news4jax.com/news/21446827/detail.html; http://www.iihs.org/
