Preventable Tragedies
Dropped cigarette leads to three-vehicle crash
Janett McGahey, 41, of Punta Gorda, reached for the cigarette and veered right onto the shoulder, striking the left side of a Chevy 2500 driven by a 39-year-old man from Lehigh Acres, according to a press release. The Chevy was parked behind a disabled vehicle on the right paved shoulder of Interstate 75 in Charlotte County, with lighted warning signs and traffic cones. After striking that vehicle, McGahey then continued north, striking an 82-year-old pedestrian, as well as the disabled vehicle.
Read MoreUPDATE: One Passes Away Following I-96 Crash Near Nunica
Traffic safety officials say to stay in your disabled vehicle until help arrives, but doing just that didn’t prevent three Lansing men from getting hurt in a crash on Friday night, and one of them has now died. A car on the shoulder had broken down and had its four-way flashers activated when another car in the right lane veered to the right and rammed into it. The three men, ranging in age from 25 to 29, were passengers inside of the disabled vehicle and were taken to Hackley Hospital for treatment, with one of them initially listed in critical condition.
Read MoreWoman, 29, killed along I-95 southbound in Boynton Beach
According the Florida Highway Patrol, a 2005 Acura, driven by Dennis Maza Bodee, a 56-year-old Boca Raton man, was traveling southbound on Interstate 95 around 7:10 a.m. FHP said a 2007 Hyundai Tucson was properly parked on the outside shoulder of southbound Interstate 95 facing south. A third vehicle, a 2013 Hyundai, was also properly parked on the outside grass shoulder facing northeast. The FHP report said the Tucson was disabled and a woman was standing on the left side of the vehicle at the driver’s door.
Read MorePolice: 69-vehicle pileup in Virginia leaves dozens injured
A pileup involving more than 60 cars on a major interstate in Virginia on Sunday morning injured dozens of people, according to state police. The crash happened just before 8 a.m. Sunday on westbound Interstate 64 in York County near Williamsburg, Virginia State Police Sgt. Michelle Anaya said. No fatalities were reported, but it took crews several hours to clear the roadway and reopen all lanes of traffic. Authorities do not yet know the cause of the crash, but fog and icy road conditions were contributing factors, Anaya said.
Read MoreThree people transported to hospital following three vehicle accident in Midland
Around 7A.M. on Saturday morning the Midland police department responded to a call about an accident that happened on 1788 near the airport. A semi-truck was disabled while the driver worked on it in the southbound lanes of 1788. The driver who had his cones out while working on the truck was crashed into by another driver in a truck.
Read MoreTroopers: Ridgefield woman caused 4-vehicle crash on I-5 Bridge
The Washington State Patrol says an inattentive driver caused a four-vehicle crash Wednesday night on the southbound span of the Interstate 5 Bridge. Around 11 p.m., a disabled 2000 Ford Expedition was stopped in the right lane on the bridge, according to a state patrol crash memo. The driver had activated the SUV’s hazard lights and was out of the vehicle, standing on the pedestrian path on the bridge. Another driver had stopped to help the stranded motorist, parking a BMW sedan in front of the Ford, troopers said.
Read MoreTwo men dead, dozens more injured after multi-car crash in Pennsylvania
Snow squalls throughout Northeast and central Pennsylvania Wednesday left roads a mess. In Union County a man died after a crash involving about 30 vehicles. “It’s one of those things where first you see a few snowflakes and you think oh this isn’t anything and then you see just suddenly a blanket of white,” said State College resident Dawn Rosenbaum. It set off a chain reaction of about 20 tractor trailers and 10 other vehicles crushed together.
Read MoreDriver Killed During Accident On Rainy I-580 Backup In Oakland
CHP Sgt. Alex Edmon told KPIX 5 that a driver of a Mercedes lost control of their vehicle and spun out in the westbound lanes as heavy rains fell in the area. A pickup truck then collided with the Mercedes. Both drivers got out of their vehicles, he said. The driver of the pickup truck walked around his vehicle to the passenger side and was fatally struck by a Honda sedan.
Read MoreDriver killed on I-69 after crashing into vehicle that hit deer
Police said that a vehicle was disabled on the road after hitting a deer. The two people inside were able to get out and walk off of the expressway. Another southbound vehicle then crashed into the back of their vehicle. The second vehicle then left the road, hit a ditch and a tree. Rescuers performed CPR but the driver, alone in the vehicle, died at the hospital.
Read MoreIllinois State Police urge drivers to move over after 27th crash involving Scott’s Law violation this year
Watson said the law was updated to include any stationary vehicle with flashing lights. That includes tow trucks, IDOT vehicles, or any other type of stopped vehicle on the side of the roadway, including stranded motorists with activated hazard lights.
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