A teenage girl lost her life in a crash in Pasco County, Florida Sunday night. It happened on Pasco Road near Vineland Street. According to a MyFox Tampa Bay report, the 24-year-old male driver suddenly swerved the car when he saw a small animal cross the road in front of him. The car then left the road and rolled over. The young man was wearing his seat belt and suffered minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol reports that his female teen passenger was not wearing her seat belt.
Our condolences go out to the family of the teen who lost her life so suddenly in an accident they may have had preventable injuries.
Seat Belts Save Lives
Several local police departments joined forces last month to pledge to save lives by enforcing Florida’s seat belt laws. Statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, find that 2,983 people were killed in motor vehicle related crashes in 2008. Of these deaths, 1,795 individuals were drivers or passengers in vehicles equipped with safety belts and 60 percent (1,085) of them were not wearing safety belts.
Research shows that properly worn lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
Car Accident Causes
There is no word in this article, but the FHP likely took a blood alcohol test at the scene. Drivers in the age group 20 to 24 who had been drinking had the highest rate per 10,000 licensed drivers of crash involvement and the highest rate of fatal crashes. Other complicating factors that may have added to this crash include speeding, distracted, or negligent driving. If there was a dangerous condition on this roadway which may have caused or contributed to this accident, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining this roadway could also be held liable, but a claim must be filed in a timely manner. The best Florida personal injury attorney will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation concerning your accident situation.
