A truck ran a red light in Tampa and struck a minivan in October. The couple inside the minivan lost their lives and their 3-year-old granddaughter suffered serious injuries in the car crash, as reported at wtsp.com. According to police, the truck driver suffered a blackout while driving just before the fatal collision.
Apparently, this is not the first blackout while driving for the truck driver. In 2007, he slammed into a car stopped at a red light and pushed it across eight traffic lanes. The investigating officer in that crash recommended that the state retest the driver for his driver’s license. In subsequent years, the state revoked his license because he did not provide requested forms from his doctor.
Then in 2010, the Florida Medical Advisory Board approved the man for driving without the need of follow-up reports about his condition that caused blackouts. This decision by the medical board has his previous accident victims wondering why they allowed him to drive again.
The report did not shed any light on what is causing the driver’s blackouts. Either way, it is somewhat puzzling that someone with a history of medical episodes was allowed to drive again.
Do you think the state medical board is to share some of the blame for this latest accident?
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida injury attorneys