GOLDLAW – West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyers, Car Accident, Slip & Fall – Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb

Tag: wrong-way crash

  • Wrong Way Crash Leaves One Man Dead, Another Critically Injured in Palm Beach County

    A deadly head-on collision happened on Thursday, January 14, after a driver going the wrong way struck another vehicle.

    According to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 4 AM. James Etchberger, 29, was heading northbound in the southbound lanes of Military Trail in a 2017 Nissan Rogue. Americo Nunez Taveras, 64, was driving south in the southbound lanes in a 2017 Toyota Camry, just south of Hypoluxo Road.

    The two vehicles hit head-on, leading to critical injuries for both drivers. They were taken to a local hospital, where Nunez Taveras was later pronounced dead. Etchberger remains in critical condition.

    Authorities are still investigating the accident. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, wrong way accidents often happen due to a failure to observe posted signs or highway markings.

    Most of these crashes are head-on collisions, making up 81% of wrong-way crash fatalities. They may be more likely to happen at night or transitional times like dusk and dawn, when visibility is limited.

    Our law firm has been handling head-on wrong way motor vehicle crashes for nearly twenty years. We represent the injured victims, or in cases like these when there is a fatality, the surviving family, to make a claim against the involved insurance companies and do our best to recover as much compensation that’s allowed and possible under the law.

    Motorists are encouraged to “Stay Right at Night,” or stay in the right lane as much as possible when driving at night, to reduce the risk of head-on collisions.

  • Wrong-Way Driver Kills Zarell Crittenden, Father of 3, Driving Home From Church

    Wrong-Way Driver Kills Zarell Crittenden, Father of 3, Driving Home From Church

    Zarell Crittenden, 27, of Jacksonville, was driving home from bible study at his church on New Year’s Day when a driver going the wrong way caused a fatal crash.

    Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officials say the crash happened around 9:50 PM on the Arlington Expressway. The traffic report states that Asea Hollingshed, 28, was driving a Volkswagen Passat westbound in the eastbound lane. The Passat struck a Ford Fusion, driven by Zarell Crittenden, who was going east in the eastbound lane. Following the collision, the Fusion rotated and struck a third car in the outside eastbound lane. Sadly, Crittendon was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hollingshed was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The driver of the third car was not injured.

    Family members say Crittenden was a husband and father of three young children. He was the music engineer at Christian United Church, and was a graduate of Terry Parker High School.

    According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), wrong-way crashes are most likely to occur at night. Most of these crashes are head-on collisions, resulting in 81 percent of all wrong way fatalities. FLHSMV recommends drivers stay alert and pay attention to signs, and stay in the right lane as much as possible. If you see a wrong-way driver approaching, FLHSMV suggests you slow down, pull off the roadway, and call 911 to report the driver.

  • Nicolas Reid, 22, Latest Driver Killed in Wrong-Way Florida Interstate Car Crash

    Early Friday morning, May 17, 22-year-old Nicolas Reid was killed in a tragic wrong-way car crash on I-95 near University Boulevard.

    Reid was a passenger in a Nissan Altima driven by 19-year-old Haven Vaughn. Florida Highway Patrol says the Nissan was traveling south in the left, northbound lane of I-95 when it struck a northbound Dodge Avenger. Vaughn and the driver of the Dodge, a 24-year-old man from Jacksonville, suffered only minor injuries. Reid, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died in the crash.

    Reid was the father of a 4-year-old daughter. His family members say he was a devoted father, a talented landscaper, and loved to fish.

    FHP says charges are pending in the accident. Meanwhile, wrong-way crashes are sadly not uncommon on Florida interstates. In 2015, there were 71 wrong-way crashes in Duval County alone, two of them fatal. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently finished a $1.3 million project to improve wrong-way signage and pavement markings.

    “The signage includes more reflective tape on the wrong-way signs,” explained FDOT spokesperson Hampton Ray. “You may not think that it’s a fancy upgrade, but typically these occurrences happen at night and we want to make sure it’s as visible as possible and the drivers know when they are taking the wrong way.”

    FDOT adds that improvements were made to roughly 200 interstates and state roads, reminding drivers that if they see someone traveling the wrong way to pull over to a safe location and call 911.

    Troopers said they were working to figure out how Vaughn ended up driving the wrong way on the interstate despite concrete barriers. If there was negligence on the part of Vaughn or FDOT, Reid’s family could have cause for a wrongful death lawsuit.