High Speed Crash in Sarasota Kills Four
TBO.com reports a 19-year-old man was traveling at 99 mph before a crash last month that killed his 14-year-old sister, two others, and himself. The Florida Highway Patrol report was released the week of April 11 and said the Chevy Trailblazer hit a concrete wall on Wilkinson Road in Sarasota at about 5:25 a.m. on March 13. The area was a 30 mph speed zone. Neither the sister nor a 15-year-old friend were wearing seat belts in the back seat of the vehicle. The teens were celebrating the birthday of the 19-year-old driver and were on their way home from Ybor City in Tampa. FHP does not believe alcohol contributed to the crash, but speed caused the young driver to lose control.
The driver and another teen were on spring break from college. They had been high school friends in Sarasota. The girls were students at the Sarasota Military Academy and were being picked up by the driver as a favor to his mother.
Our sincere condolences go out to all of the friends and families forever hurt by this tragic collision.
According to statistics from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety, fatalities involving teen drivers and their passengers ages 15-19 fell more than 20 percent between 2008 and 2009. Still, teen drivers have the highest rate of crashes than any other age group at 381 per 10,000 drivers, and car crashes continue to be the leading cause of death of teens and children.
The Florida car accident lawyers at Farah & Farah hope you never have to experience the pain of losing a child. If you or a loved one have been involved in a motor vehicle crash and you believe there may be liability issues to explore, we are just a phone call away.
