Various news outlets report that an elderly woman is in critical condition after a logging truck hit the ambulance she was a patient in. The accident occurred last week on U.S. Highway 98 near Gulf Arie Dr. in Gulf County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the truck was driving east on Hwy 98 while the ambulance was headed west, when the logtruck lost control of the vehicle causing it to jackknife and smash into the ambulance. The ambulance had EMS personnel and one patient on board. The patient was taken to Gulf Coast Emergency Medical Center in critical condition.
The driver of the logging truck is facing a careless driving charge.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the female who was injured in this horrible accident.
Florida Statute §316.1925 defines careless driving. It is when any person operating a vehicle upon the streets or highways within the state shall drive the same in a careful and prudent manner, having regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and all other attendant circumstances, so as not to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person. Failure to drive in such manner shall constitute careless driving and a violation of this section.
A couple years ago, an insurance rating website pulled statistics from NHTSA to figure out which state was the worse state for driving and Florida ranked as #6. Carinsurancecomparison.com produced the report after pulling statistics from pulled statistics from sources such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Motorists Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Each state gets a rank in five categories:
— Fatalities Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
— Failure to Obey (Traffic Signals + Seat Belts)
— Drunk Driving
— Tickets
— Careless Driving
So why did Florida rank so low? The state ranked:
— 51st for careless driving.
— 48th for tickets
— 38th for failure to obey (traffic signals and seat belts)
— 33rd for fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
— 18th for drunk driving
I am not sure much has changed in the three years since this report has come out.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of careless driving, contact us at Brannon and Brannon for a free consultation (850)659-2252 or reach us through our website: www.brannoncanhelp.com
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/the-list/os-florida-bad-drivers-20131216-post.html
