Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
Early last Wednesday morning a twenty-six-year-old bassist in a local Indie rock band was killed in a horrific wrong-way crash on Interstate 95. Everything seemed to have been going good for the band Ghost Cat. The group, comprised of four men, had recently returned to Florida from a recording session in Georgia, where it had recorded its first album. On Tuesday, the group played a gig in Orlando and then went on to play in Lake Worth that evening. Just hours later, Bryan Jackson, a passenger in his bandmate’s Ford Explorer, was lying dead on Interstate 95 near Stuart.
Bryan Jackson, a Port St. Lucie resident, was sitting in the backseat of twenty-seven-year-old Karsten Anderson’s SUV. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, thirty-one-year-old Troy Van Snook was driving his pickup truck south in the northbound lanes. Anderson crashed head-on into Van Snook’s truck, causing a chain-reaction crash around 1:47 a.m. just north of the Bridge Road exit. Anderson’s Ford Explorer rolled onto its side and came to rest in the middle of the Interstate 95 northbound lanes.
A guitarist for the band, Shane O’Brien was in the front passenger’s seat of the SUV. After the SUV rolled over, he managed to kick out the windshield and escape the vehicle just in time. Minutes later, a tractor trailer crashed into the SUV. The impact threw Jackson from the vehicle. A minivan also could not avoid impact with the SUV. Van Snook and Jackson were killed in the crash. Anderson suffered a serious leg injury. The driver and passenger in the tractor trailer and the driver of the minivan did not sustain any injuries.
Survivor of horrific I-95 crash that killed two: ‘It’s hard to believe seeing your best friend lying on the side of the road’, www.palmbeachpost.com October 30, 2013
O’Brien stated, “It’s hard to believe seeing your best friend lying on the side of the road. It was completely terrifying. I felt helpless. The worst experience of my life.” Investigations continued on Wednesday into whether Van Snook was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. O’Brien stated that he had no idea the pickup truck was headed right for the SUV until just before the collision. He estimated that the SUV was going about 75 mph when the crash occurred. The fourth member of the band, John Henderson, a guitarist, was traveling in his own vehicle and did not learn of the crash until later in the day on Wednesday.
Head-on collisions are some of the most devastating and tragic automobile accidents. These accidents often cause traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, or even death. While it is unclear at this time, the cause of the crash could range from a medical episode to distracted driving or driving while under the influence. The Palm Beach motor vehicle accident attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping motor vehicle accident victims who have suffered serious injuries. The Broward automobile accident attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona have spent over twenty years working to help clients and their families recover compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages. If you have sustained serious injuries or your loved one has died as a result of an automobile accident, call (305) 661-2008 for your free consultation today!
The Miami personal injury 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!