An 18-year-old Seffner woman admitted to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers that she was picking up a cell phone that she had dropped when she lost control of her 2002 Ford Expedition, which led to a chain-reaction crash that left one driver dead and another injured.
The woman was heading south on I-75 in northern Manatee County when she veered onto the inside shoulder of the highway while retrieving her cell phone. According to FHP, she over-corrected and the Expedition overturned several times and came to rest in the middle southbound lane.
Apparently, a 66-year-old Georgia man driving a 2002 Chevy Suburban did not see the Expedition on the road and plowed into it. The woman had already exited the Expedition and had been calling 911 on the shoulder of the highway when the Suburban struck her SUV. There were now two vehicles disabled on the highway.
A third driver in a semi-trailer, seeing what he thought was a person waving a flashlight in the right lane, moved into the middle lane. He noticed crash debris on the road, and despite braking, he was unable to avoid the vehicles on the Interstate. The right front of his truck struck the left side of the Suburban. His truck overturned onto its left side after the collision.
FHP reports that the driver of the Suburban was killed in the crash and the truck driver and the Seffner woman were taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
If you have lost a loved one due to the actions of a careless or distracted motorist, the Manatee County car-truck collision attorneys at Farah & Farah can tell you if you have a case and will explain what your legal options might be. Call us at (800) 533-3555. Your call and case evaluation are free.
