Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
A Los Angeles man was arrested on suspicion of murder after he allegedly got into his vehicle Saturday evening and proceeded to drive onto Venice Beach’s pedestrian-only boardwalk, plowing down crowds as he accelerated. An Italian woman on her honeymoon was killed in this seemingly intentional hit-and-run and at least eleven others were injured. Thirty-eight-year-old Nathan Campbell was arrested after he entered a Santa Monica police station about two hours after the incident and informed police he was involved. Campbell remains in jail on $1 million bail.
A man was seen on Venice Beach boardwalk security cameras parking his car, getting out, surveying the area, and then getting back into his vehicle and speeding into the crowd of pedestrians. Hundreds of people in the area raced to get out of the path of the car as it sped down the boardwalk and eventually out of sight. Investigators said it was not immediately clear how fast the driver was traveling at the time of the incident.
The woman killed in the incident was thirty-two-year-old Alice Gruppioni. Another individual was critically injured and two others were in serious condition. At least eight others sustained less serious injuries. Louisa Hodge, a witness to the scene, described how horrifying it was, stating that people were “stumbling around, blood dripping down their legs, looking confused not knowing what had happened, people screaming.” Video of the scene showed the driver swerving from side to side and even running straight into some people.
Man arrested deadly LA boardwalk driving attack, www.palmbeachpost.com August 4, 2013
This is not the first deadly accident in the area. In 2003, George Weller, an elderly man, drove through an open-air farmer’s market in Santa Monica. According to investigators, Weller accidently stepped on the gas instead of the brake and panicked, losing control of his vehicle. Ten people were killed in that incident and more than seventy injured.
Unfortunately, pedestrians face a high risk of danger every time that they are close to a roadway. Drivers can lose control of their automobiles for many reasons, including defective parts, speeding, distracted driving, or because of the influence of substances like drugs or alcohol. In this instance, it seems as though the driver chose to operate his vehicle in a dangerous way that he knew would cause great devastation. The friends and family members of the woman killed and the others injured are now faced with great pain and frustration as well as the question of why this happened. The Palm Beach automobile accident attorneys have spent over twenty years helping their clients recover the most amount of compensation for their injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages. The Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys understand the frustration and pain that comes along with these tragic accidents and are equipped to offer you and your family the help that you need after an accident like this one. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident or any other type of motor vehicle accident, call (305) 661-2008 today for your free consultation.
The Miami trial attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of car accident cases throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and construction site injuries. Call the Miami personal injury attorneys today and let our family take care of your family!