A 53-year-old Jacksonville Beach woman is in critical condition after being hit by an SUV in the parking lot of a Publix grocery store at the upscale Marsh Landing area Friday afternoon, December 23. According to Jacksonville Beach police, the SUV was backing out after being parked and backed into the woman around 3 p.m. The two women did not know each other. The victim was air lifted to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with head injuries and is in stable, but critical, condition.
This is where the story becomes unclear. Some comments to both the First Coast News and News4Jax, one who claimed to be a witness, said the women got into an altercation after the SUV driver parked in a handicapped zone. In backing out, she hit the woman who was reporting her and the woman was dragged under the SUV, reported to be a Mercedes. However, neither news account confirms the altercation version of the story.
Regardless, we wish the woman a full recovery from this tragic crash. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.
It’s unfortunate but especially during the holidays, people are long on stress and short on patience. Cars back out of parking lots and drivers often fail to look, or two cars can very easily back into each other, especially if they are positioned at an angle which makes it difficult to see the other car in your blind spot. Fortunately, because of the low speeds, injuries are usually minimal. If you are in a parking lot auto accident, pull the cars into a safe location and call the police. Make sure you walk around the car and take pictures with a cell phone. Do not get into any discussion with the other party other than to exchange names, address, phone numbers, and insurance information. Immediately look around for any witnesses to the accident and get their contact information after writing down a brief description of what they say. If the damages are extensive or you suffer injuries, you may want to call in an experienced Florida auto accident attorney to advocate for your interests. The legal team of Farah & Farah can help if you are involved in a car accident. Call (800) 603-3640 for a no-cost consultation.
Source: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-12-23/story/woman-hit-jacksonville-beach-shopping-center-parking-lot; http://www.news4jax.com/news/Woman-critical-after-being-hit-by-SUV/-/475880/6701730/-/ukrkh0/-/index.html
