Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate what caused a deadly wrong-way crash on Interstate 275 in Tampa Sunday morning. Troopers are attempting to determine which entrance ramp the wrong-way driver entered to see how the driver got to the point of crashing head-on into a vehicle carrying four University of South Florida students. All four of the students and the wrong-way driver died in the crash. The students who lost their lives were twenty-year-old Fort Myers native Imtiyaz Ilias, twenty-one-year-old Melbourne native Dammie Yesudhas, twenty-one-year-old Orlando native Jobin Joy Kuriakose, and twenty-two-year-old Melbourne native Ankeet Harshad Patel. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle has not yet been identified because his body was so badly burned as a result of the collision.
Florida Highway Patrol Sergeant Steve Gaskins released a statement in which he said, “We are working with the medical examiner’s office to positively identify who he is, though it might take medical and dental records.” Gaskins also stated that toxicology tests, which will show whether either driver was impaired, take six to eight weeks to complete. Investigators are also working to determine how the wrong-way driver came to crash into the vehicle full of students. Gaskin said it is unclear where the driver entered the highway. “He may have turned around in the median. We can say with some level of certainty that he was going the wrong way for at least a mile or two, at least.” Although there are video feeds at the highway entrance and exit ramps, they are used only for observing real-time traffic conditions, and do not provide videotape record of the driver on the highway.
A donation website has been created for the families of the students who were killed in the crash. A message on the website states, “It is unimaginable what the families must be going through right now. As we all work through this difficult time, it is important for us to come together and form a support net for the family. We are asking all of our family, friends, Greek community members, and associates help by donating as much as they can. Every little bit counts.”
Crash that killed 5 still under investigation www.palmbeachpost.com February 10, 2013
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. Although it is not clear at this time whether alcohol or drugs played a role in this crash, if either substance was at play, that certainly could have contributed to the death of all five of the individuals involved in the crash. The South Florida automobile accident attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping accident victims and their families when someone has suffered serious or fatal injuries. The Coral Gables insurance litigation 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!