Man Killed, Woman Injured in Car Crash on I-95 Exit Ramp
A Merritt Island man died Tuesday, May 31, in his Honda Civic when he crashed after making an abrupt turn onto an exit ramp of Interstate 95 in Brevard County. According to The Orlando Sentinel, the 30-year-old driver was northbound near the exit to State Road 520 when he traveled through a safety zone and began turning clockwise before hitting a steel support holding up a road sign. The car then continued and overturned ejecting the man and killing him at the scene. The Honda driver was not wearing a seat belt. His passenger who was wearing a seat belt, a 32-year-old woman from Cocoa, suffered minor injuries and managed to get out of the car.
Our condolences are extended to his friends and family for his sudden passing.
Florida’;s new seat belt law became effective June 30, 2009 to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), over half the people killed in automobile accidents in Florida and across the United States each year failed to wear their seat belts. Police officers were given the power in Florida with the primary seat belt law to pull over people not wearing seat belts. They can receive a $30 fine. Minors under the age of 18 must be buckled in whether sitting in the front or back of the car. A failure to do so can bring a $60 fine. The primary seat belt law appears to be working because of the latest data from the Florida Department of Transportation shows the usage rate is estimated to be 87.4 percent, the highest rate yet recorded.
Sources: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-fatal-one-dead-brevard-20110531,0,6375401.story and http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/Documents/SB%20Use%20Report%202010%20-%20%20FINAL%208-30-10%20%28new%29.pdf
