Distracted driving has been implicated in a rollover car accident that took the life of a 20-year-old Florida Gulf Coast University student on Friday, January 28, near Tampa.
According to police, the female driver, from Trinity, told them she was at the wheel trying to use a cell phone that was password protected. Looking down as she dialed, she failed to notice stalled traffic ahead, and at the last second swerved right to avoid a collision. The SUV spun around, left the road, and flipped, seriously injuring her and her boyfriend.
Officers told reporters that woman was conscious when emergency vehicles arrived where she talked to officers about the crash. She was placed in an ambulance, but en route to the hospital she suffered a seizure and died when her heart stopped.
The victim's boyfriend, who was also in the car accident, disputes this account, denying that a cell phone was involved in the run-up to the accident. He said she looked at him for "a split second," turning back to the road too late to safely avoid a stopped car. The boyfriend, of Cottage Grove, MN, was treated for head injuries. Neither he nor the driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Larry Kraus contradicted the boyfriend's story, saying homicide investigators heard about the cell-phone distraction from the driver herself at the crash site. "We know that's what she was telling investigators because she was alive prior to leaving the scene."
Two other developments complicate the picture for forensics experts. One is the driver's driving record, which includes two prior speeding tickets and a citation for not wearing a seat belt. The other is a quantity of Adderol, a drug illicitly used for its intoxicating effects, found in the car. The matter is still under investigation.
Car Crash Investigations Can Be Complicated
Determining the cause of the accident is particularly important in Florida, because the state has no primary law that includes cell-phone use as a cause of distracted driving. A handful of statutes prohibit the consequential use of cell phones, but a driver cannot be charged unless first convicted of a more serious violation, such as driving while intoxicated.
Yet, the danger of distraction by wireless devices is well established. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls it the leading source of driver inattention, saying that compared with national averages, drivers using cell phones are four times as likely to become involved in serious accidents.
Anyone involved in a car accident resulting in the death or serious injury of a loved one should consult a Tampa attorney experienced in the fields of auto accidents and personal injury. An attorney at the Florida law firm of Feldman, Fox & Morgado, PA, will be able to help you evaluate your claim. The law firm represents injured persons throughout Florida. If you live in Tampa, Ocala, Miami, Naples, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach, contact Feldman, Fox & Morgado after your car accident.
