South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Our Port St. Lucie car accident lawyers have discussed the dangers of texting and driving time and time again. Now, there’s a local family trying get the message through to drivers after their lives were devastatingly impacted by a driver who had been texting. According to CBS12, a local family felt the effects of the dangerous driving habits firsthand. They are now trying to call attention to the issue before it happens to someone else.
“We’re supposed to be making more memories. Doing more things together. Not just as a family, but as a couple, and now I don’t have that,” said the woman.
You may remember the accident from August 13th of 2011. The accident in which the woman lost her husband because of a texting driver. Our Port St. Lucie car accident lawyers remember that accident. A 25-year-old driver sped through a red light while driving down Gatlin Boulevard when she slammed into the vehicle of the woman’s husband. It’s believed that the driver was texting as she went through the red light, though that has not been officially confirmed.
The victim’s wife is feeling the consequences of that alleged text message. Her life will never be the same.
According to the victim’s family, investigators believe that the red light-running driver was texting when the accident happened, but the state attorney’s office and local police can’t substantiate that because the driver hasn’t yet turned over her cell phone to authorities.
Tom Nichols with the Port St. Lucie Police Department says that they tried to determine at the time of the crash whether the driver was texting or on the phone. Nichols said that they looked all over for her phone number. They even stopped by her house in Port St. Lucie and weren’t able to get in touch with her.
The victim’s wife says it’s like the driver doesn’t even care that she killed someone.
The truth of the matter is that many accidents like that happen here in South Florida. Officers aren’t always able to prove that a driver was distracted by a text message or a phone call when an accident happens, leaving the causes of these accidents unrecorded.
At the site of the accident, faded white spray paint and flowers mark the holidays spent without the father, the husband, the victim of an accident with a driver who was allegedly distracted by a text message.
Now, the grief of their loss is replaced with a purpose. The man’s wife says she’s determined to share her story with people in the area to help them to understand the consequences that are associated with such irresponsible driving behaviors.
So far, the red light-running driver has not been charged.
Luckily, there is an anti-texting ban being proposed in Tallahassee. The bill recently made it through committee. Next, it faces a full vote in the Senate, but could be stopped by expected opposition in the House.
Currently, there are 40 states that have some kind of restriction on texting while driving, but there’s still nothing on the books here in Florida.
If you or a member of your family has been injured or killed in a distraction-related car accident in Port St. Lucie, Royal Palm Beach, Pompano Beach or in any of the surrounding areas, contact our personal injury attorneys of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-529-2368.
More Blog Entries:
Parental Involvement Can Prevent Teen Car Accidents In Delray Beach, Beyond, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 1, 2012