This appears to be an early morning run to school that left eight people injured including two children. According to a North West Florida Daily News article, a 21-year-old female motorist from Milton, Florida was driving a Nissan Maxima when she rear-ended a Chevrolet Tahoe, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The Tahoe was stopped and waiting for the van in front of it to turn. The Tahoe driver and all six onboard suffered minor injuries including two 2-year-old children, three other adults and a 15-year-old girl. All were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. It is possible that the 21-year-old could face a charge of careless driving. Everyone was belted in. FHP says there was no alcohol involved.
Our best wishes for the recovery of everyone in the Tahoe, especially the children. They are fortunate they did not suffer serious injuries and were belted in.
Accident Statistics
Escambia county saw 4,419 crashes in 2008, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, 594 of them were alcohol-related and 63 deaths resulted.
Accident Causes and Liability Issues
It is possible that the young driver was distracted when she rear-ended the Tahoe. Talking on a cell phone makes a driver 2.8 times more likely to crash than a non distracted driver, according to research from Virginia Tech. The school’s research shows that text messaging which has the highest risk of keeping a driver’s eyes off the task at hand – that is driving. VT found that texting takes about a 4.6 second interval, which equates to driving the length of a football field at 55 mph without looking at the road. Driving is a visual task and any activity that takes your eyes off the road should be avoided.
If I was a family member of those in the Tahoe, I would seek the assistance of a Florida accident lawyer to determine who the at-fault driver is and why. An investigation could reveal whether there was texting or cell phone use seconds before the crash. Or if not, whether there were other causes for this accident such as problems with the roadway, or a fault with the vehicle or tire. The at-fault driver could be held liable for the costs associated with hospitalization, therapy and lost wages.
