14-Year-Old Killed In Crash Involving Police
A devastating crash involving a Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy cruiser and a Honda Civic leaves an Oakland Park, Florida teenager dead and two others in the hospital. According to police and witnesses at the scene, the accident happened at the corner of Dixie Highway and Northeast 56th Street. The investigation into just what happened demonstrates how difficult it can be to find the cause of such a tragedy and how important it is to seek legal guidance to make sure justice is done.
According to police and news reports, a 21-year-old girl was driving the Honda, headed north on Dixie Highway. She was attempting to turn left at Northeast 56th Street when the police cruiser, headed south on Dixie, slammed so hard into the Honda that the back end of the car was sheared off. A 14-year-old a passenger in the Honda was thrown from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and another passenger, who is 15-year-old, were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The Sheriff’s Deputy driving the cruiser, a 21-year-old man, was also taken to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released. He is new to the Sheriff’s Department and has neither commendations nor reprimands on his record. He has not been placed on leave from his job.
Our hearts go out to all the victims of this terrible accident. The loss of a child is especially difficult and our prayers are with the girl’s family and friends as they try to come to terms with what happened.
Reconstructing An Accident
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office says it may take months to determine who is at fault and as more details come to light, it is easy to see why.
First—one witness at the scene who gave an account of the accident to investigators is now accused of having lied about what happened.
Second—while witnesses claim the cruiser was driving at a high rate of speed, the Sheriff’s Office says it is unclear at this time how fast it was going. Furthermore, officials say Honda had a green light, but not a green turn arrow, which means it should have yielded to oncoming traffic.
Third—witnesses asked why the Sheriff didn’t have his emergency lights or siren on during the crash but officials say he shouldn’t have, since he was responding to a routine call at the time.
Fourth—both drivers have a record of traffic citations, both for speeding, and one for charges of improperly changing lanes and failing to wear a seat belt.
Traffic Crashes Involving Law Enforcement
Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports about 25,000 traffic crashes involving law enforcement vehicles from 2004 through 2008. 93 of those accidents ended in death. According to the Sun-Sentinel, during those five years, 15 fatal crashes involving police vehicles happened in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the number of traffic fatalities in 2008 was down from the previous year by 7.4%. 2,983 people died in auto accidents, a little more than a third of the people who died were not wearing seatbelts.
The DHSMV also reports that in 2008, drivers between the ages of 20 and 24 had the highest rate of fatal crashes.
An Accident Investigator Needs to Answer Questions
There are so many questions left unanswered in this case. Was the deputy speeding and why? Who had the right of way? Were the drivers distracted? Was everyone wearing seatbelts? If they were, why was the young girl thrown from the Honda? Was there a vehicle malfunction?
These kinds of questions require experienced investigators who will likely require accounts from witnesses as well as a careful and scientific examination of the vehicles and the scene of the accident. This is the sort of thing law enforcement is equipped to do but when one of their own is involved in the accident, doesn’t it make sense to get outside investigators involved in the inquiry? All parties, including the deputy involved in the accident, will likely need help from a well-qualified Florida personal injury attorney who will look out for their rights in this case.
Source report: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/oakland-park/fl-bso-crash-update-012510-20100125,0,2945321.story
