It was late that night in Polk County, when a 54-year-old man and a lady he had met at the Midway Lounge were heading back to the man’s home. They had hit it off at the bar and couldn’t wait to be alone, but their eagerness led to carelessness. As they were driving down U.S. 92, the man’s Ford truck hit something as they were enjoying each other’s company. The driver told his lady friend it was just a stop sign, and they went back to what they were doing, but their distraction cost a man his life.
How To Tell When You’re Too Distracted To Drive
A witness saw what the Ford truck hit, and it wasn’t a stop sign. The witness called authorities and gave them the Ford’s tag number before returning to the scene of the accident to help the bicyclist who had been hit. When paramedics arrived, the bicyclist had already succumbed to his injuries. He was later identified through fingerprint analysis, and his family was notified.
When police caught up to the pickup truck driver, he told the police he thought he hit a traffic sign while he was distracted by a “sex act.” His passenger later confirmed his story. However, this does not excuse the tragedy that befell an unsuspecting bike rider.
Cellphones are one of the top causes of distracted driving, but many people don’t realize that passengers can often cause distractions that lead to accidents. It is important to make your passengers aware that their actions also affect your ability to drive safely, and drivers need to recognize that they are still responsible for any accident that happens while they are driving—even if someone else caused the distraction.
Anything that takes your attention from the road while you are driving can cause a deadly accident. To learn more about distracted driving, and how you can prevent it, keep reading our blog. You can also log onto our Twitter or Facebook pages to share your stories and ideas to help improve safety on the roads of Florida.
This has been a message from your Coral Gables injury attorneys at Colson Hicks Eidson, serving Florida’s high-profile litigation needs for over 40 years.
