Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

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OLDSMAR, FL – A 78-year-old man suffered fatal injuries after he was crossing the Tampa Road and Burbank Road junction and was struck by a Toyota Camry Friday. 

This collision was reported before noon, as indicated in an ABC Action News report. Pinellas County deputies said the driver — 68-year-old Pascalia Mbetera — was driving east on Tampa Road when he struck the pedestrian using a roller walker to cross the road. 

The pedestrian, who was identified as Frank Adams, was sent to a hospital where he later died. 

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LARGO, FL – A 15-year-old teenager was sent to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after getting hit by a Pinellas County vehicle near Largo Thursday. 

This collision occurred in the area of 137th Street and Ridgeland Drive, ABC Action News reported.

It is unclear who had the right of way at the time of the collision. 

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TARPON SPRINGS, FL – A 42-year-old man was sent to the hospital after getting struck by a silver Chevy Impala on the 39016 block of northbound U.S. Highway. 

This wreck occurred before 3:45 a.m. Saturday, according to ABC Action News. The passenger side of the Impala struck Issam Hatimi, leading him to be thrown before coming to rest along the eastern guardrail. He was rushed to Bayonet Point Hospital, where his condition remains unclear. 

The driver cooperated with investigators, and it is unclear if the person will be charged at this time. 

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TAMPA, FL – A man’s life was claimed when he crossed the I-275 and Busch Boulevard junction around 4 p.m. Wednesday, WTSP revealed. 

It is unclear why the 40-year-old man was walking across the interstate or if the other driver will face charges. 

Our newsroom will continue to keep a vigilant eye on incoming information and will post updates should they become available. 

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TAMPA, FL – A 3-year-old toddler died after being hit by a vehicle in the Town ‘n’ Country district early on Thursday. 

This collision occurred near Brennan Circle, according to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

Deputies responded to reports of an accident on northbound Sheldon Road near Brennan Circle shortly before 3:30 a.m. Responders rushed the toddler to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he or she was pronounced dead. 

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently working on improving 10 intersections along 4th Street in St. Petersburg in an effort to make the area more walkable for pedestrians and cyclists.

In order to stop drivers from speeding through 4th Street, crews are installing curb bulb-outs, features that narrow the roadways giving pedestrians more space to walk. An FDOT spokesperson said these curb bulb-outs will also help to stop speeding drivers as they will yield more to pedestrians, thus reducing the high number of collisions.

Untitled-design-16-200x300FDOT data shows that from 2015-2019 there were 364 traffic accidents that occurred along 4th Street, 17 of these involved pedestrians.

Also, a part of the project are new signs to make drivers more aware of bicyclists and pedestrians.

A similar project was recently completed on 3rd Street, which prompted city officials to seek the same work on 4th Street. FDOT officials aim to make downtown more walkable than it currently is.

The construction on 4th Street is anticipated to be completely by early next year.

So far in 2023 Pinellas County has seen 522 traffic crashes, resulting in 4 fatalities and 313 injuries, according to reports from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). We are just 26 days into 2023 and the county has seen 17 bicycle crashes, 13 motorcycle collisions, and 17 pedestrian accidents resulting in 3 deaths.

In 2022, Pinellas County had 15,660 traffic crashes resulting in 121 deaths and 9,212 injuries. Bicycle crashes reached 578 resulting in 13 fatalities. Motorcycle crashes reached 435 resulting in 31 deaths. Pedestrian crashes totaled 474 with 36 fatalities.

In 2021, Pinellas County had 16,464 traffic accidents resulting in 158 fatalities and 9,428 injuries. Bicycle crashes reached 546 with 16 deaths and pedestrian accidents totaled 499 with 61 deaths. Continue reading

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tampa-g3c4b10e68_1920-300x240Tampa Bay traffic is a nightmare. The financial site Wallethub conducted a 2020 study ranking Tampa Bay as the 9th fastest growing metro area in the country, so it comes as no surprise that traffic is such a headache. More people = more traffic.

Last summer, the auto insurance site Quote Wizard placed Tampa at #4 on their list of the worst areas in the country for traffic crashes.

Now, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has found the 30 worst intersections in the Tampa Bay area using data from FDOT from 2015-2019.

Below you will find some of the worst intersections in the Tampa Bay area for 2022, including Riverview, Brandon, Largo, and of course, U.S. Highway 19 – the stretch of highway that is responsible for 4,842 traffic collisions out of a total of 13,864 in Tampa Bay.

Intersections Total Crashes Total Fatalities Severe Crashes Pedestrian and Bike Injuries
1.US 19 @ TAMPA RD, PALM HARBOR 642 2 13 2
2. US 19 @ GULF TO BAY BLVD, CLEARWATER 660 0 13 8
3. US 19 @ CURLEW RD, PALM HARBOR 613 2 13 8
4. US 19 @ DREW ST, CLEARWATER 591 0 8 13
5. SR 60 @ S BELCHER RD, CLEARWATER 542 3 7 18
6. US 19 @ EAST BAY DR, LARGO 542 1 13 11
7. US 92 @ I 275, TAMPA 536 0 7 3
8. SR 589 @ SR 580, TOWN ‘N’ COUNTRY 531 1 10 3
9. SR 60 @ BRANDON TOWN CENTER DR, BRANDON 513 2 9 8
10. SR 582 @ 30TH ST, TAMPA 501 1 4 5
11. US 301 @ GIBSONTON DR, RIVERVIEW 487 1 17 6
12. US 92 @ CHEROKEE AVE, TAMPA 469 0 7 2
13. US 301 @ PROGRESS BLVD, BRANDON 467 1 11 6
14. US 19 @ PARK BLVD N, PINELLAS PARK 463 0 6 7
15. CR 1 @ RIDGE RD, NEW PORT RICHEY 450 1 40 7
16. DALE MABRY HWY @ WATERS AVE, TAMPA 436 3 5 18
17. SR 574 @ I 275, TAMPA 427 1 9 8
18. SR 574 @ I 275, TAMPA 419 0 9 0
19. US 41 @ SR 54, LAND ‘O LAKES 414 2 21 5
20. US 19 @ MAIN ST, DUNEDIN 401 0 3 5
21. US 19 @ E TARPON AVE, TARPON SPRINGS 388 0 8 4
22. SR 686 @ 34TH ST N,CLEARWATER 386 3 15 4
23. SR 686 @ STARKEY RD, LARGO 385 0 11 17
24. US 301 @ BIG BEND RD, RIVERVIEW 375 0 19 10
25. SR 60 @ FALKENBURG RD, TAMPA 374 2 7 4
26. I 275 @ E BUSCH BLVD, TAMPA 374 0 3 0
27. SR 688 @ STARKEY RD, LARGO 370 0 10 17
28. I 75 @ BIG BEND RD, RIVERVIEW 369 1 22 0
29. CR 584 @ HANLEY RD, TOWN ‘N’ COUNTRY 368 1 5 14
30. I-275 @ 22ND AVE N, ST. PETERSBURG 368 0 12 3

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The number of people racing through the active crosswalk of 5th Avenue North at 25th Street North has more than just the neighborhood buzzing with complaints. It now has the attention of Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson.

The crosswalk has been compared to playing a game of “Frogger,” where you press the ‘walk’ button and expect cars to stop for pedestrians, but they do not.

Due to the fact that St. Petersburg High School is located right at this intersection, the reason for concern is more than validated.

The St. Petersburg Police Department has reported that there have been 58 crashes between 21st Street and 34th Street just within the past five months. Three of these resulted in fatalities.

Untitled-design-2-300x300Interesting Fact: For the month of February, the intersection of 34th Street and 5th Avenue North was ranked as the second worst intersection in St. Petersburg.

With so many accidents occurring at this popular crosswalk, our Tampa Pedestrian Accident Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton would like to offer up a few tips that can help keep everyone using the roadways safer. These simple steps only take five seconds, and could very well save a life.

Pedestrians

  1. Always cross at the marked crosswalk.
  2. Look left and right and make sure the roadway is clear before walking, regardless of if there is a signal that says you are “OK” to walk.
  3. If you see a vehicle approach, make eye contact with the driver in an attempt to make sure they see you before you walk.
  4. Look before you walk past stopped vehicles, even if they have waved you to go ahead. You need to make sure ALL lanes are clear before proceeding.

Drivers

  1. ALWAYS yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and an intersection.
  2. Make sure you are prepared to stop at all marked crosswalks. Keep your eyes open and slow down at crosswalks.
  3. Look out for skateboarders, bikers, etc. as they can approach crosswalks much faster than those on foot.
  4. Come to a complete stop at crosswalks and intersections and make sure there are no pedestrians present before continuing on.
  5. Wait until pedestrians have crossed completely before you resume your travel.
  6. Do not pass another vehicle that is slowing down or stopping at a crosswalk.

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Two Plant City High School students were killed in a motorcycle crash Friday at the intersection of Bay to Bay Boulevard and Lois Avenue, where a traffic signal and other safety improvements are under review.

The city of Tampa staff in conjunction with Hillsborough County have been trying to secure funding for years to improve the safety at this dangerous intersection, but the money just isn’t available, according to reports.

Ove the past two months, Tampa city staff have been looking at taking temporary measures to keep pedestrians safe from the short distance near a school and park, such as a pedestrian-activated crossing (a rectangular flashing beacon) like the ones you can see Bayshore Boulevard.

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A man riding a bicycle Monday morning was hit and killed by a vehicle in Largo, according to police reports. 

The vehicle vs. bike accident occurred just before 6 a.m. on Starkey Road and East Bay Drive. Police pronounced the biker dead at the scene. 

The Largo Police Departments Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the crash site and is currently conducting an investigation into the tragedy. 

Police did release that they believe the man’s bicycle had no tail light and that alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The driver of the vehicle did remain at the crash site, so it will be determined once a full investigation is conducted whether or not the driver will face any charges. 

biking-1721469_1920-300x175No one ever expects to be involved in a bicycle crash or even a pedestrian accident. The aftermath of these serious accidents can affect victims and their families for a long time. If you survive a crash like these, you may find that the physical and emotional recovery process is a lengthy one and you may be unable to enjoy your life in the same ways as you did before the accident. On top of this, you might be struggling to keep up with your medical bills due to not being able to work. Our Tampa Bay Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are leaders in the field of pedestrian and bicycle law and are advocates for cyclists throughout the state of Florida.

We know that now more than ever bikes have become a very popular year-round mode of transportation for residents and visitors alike in Florida. We also know that regardless of how careful pedestrians and bicyclists are, they can easily become the victims of a crash caused by negligent motorists. That is why we remain committed to protecting the rights of bikers and pedestrians throughout the Tampa Bay area. 

We have seen all kinds of accidents in our years of work protecting the rights of injured bicyclists and pedestrians. We know how even the safest of bikers and pedestrians can have encounters with angry drivers who have struck them intentionally, opened their doors in their paths, or even passing too closely or driving too closely. Serious and fatal accidents can happen even in communities that have bike lanes that are in place to protect bikers and provide them with more visibility to drivers. 

Florida law is clear when it comes to pedestrian and bike laws: bicyclists have the same rights to use the roads as drivers of motor vehicles. The law also provides that drivers of motor vehicles are to exercise caution when sharing the roads with pedestrians and bikers to avoid hitting them. Sadly, despite laws protecting bikers and pedestrians, many unnecessary injuries and deaths occur every year because of distracted or inattentive drivers. 

Can I Be Found Responsible for My Own Bicycle Crash? 

As we mentioned before, bikers have rights when they are out on the roads in Tampa Bay and elsewhere in Florida. On that some note, cyclists also have legal responsibilities they must abide by just like drivers of motor vehicles. So to answer this question, yes, bikers can be held partially liable for causing an accident that resulted in their injuries. This is known as contributory negligence, and means that the biker in question may have contributed to their own crash in some way. While a police officer may write up an accident report naming you partially at fault, or an insurance adjuster working on your accident claim may make this determination, this does not mean that you are actually at fault. It is important to work with a injury attorney after your accident so that they can advocate on your behalf and make sure your rights and responsibilities are fully protected. 

Bicyclists and pedestrians alike are usually left to suffer serious injuries that can last extended periods of time. Medical bills can be overwhelming and they may be unable to get back to work right away. Our Tampa Bay Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help you build a strong case in order to recover the financial compensation you need and deserve following a serious bicycle or pedestrian accident. 

We fully understand that many residents of Tampa choose to cycle or walk to work or even engage in these activities daily for their health or to participate in recreation activities with their families. If you’ve been injured by a careless driver, you deserve to have experienced legal representation to uphold the laws that make our roads accessible to all. 

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