Car Accidents

The Dangers of Drag Racing

September 16, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Any car crash that results in death or injury is tragic, but fatal car crashes that are caused by irresponsible driving are particularly saddening. Many such accidents are the result of illegal drag races, also known as street races. Street racers don’t just put their own lives on the line for a thrill; they also endanger the lives of pedestrians and other motorists.

The tragic affects of street racing can be seen in a recent crash in Miami. According to a CBS Miami report last Saturday, a driver who witnesses say was street racing ran a red light and collided with a Nissan and a county bus. The driver of the Nissan, Humberto Perez, had dropped his wife off at work only moments before. The force of the collision ejected Perez from his vehicle. He died at the scene.

One of the passengers on the bus was taken to the hospital for treatment. The bus driver suffered minor injuries and received treatment at the scene. The accused street racer and his passenger were severely injured and were taken to the hospital after they were extricated from their vehicle.

Miami’s Motorists Rank Among Worst

September 16, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Recently, The Huffington Post crowned Miami home to the worst drivers in America. In the Miami-Dade County area, distracted drivers continue to contribute to the overwhelming number of traffic accidents that occur daily. Brian Palmer, a writer for Slate.com, “crunched the numbers” and found in 2012 Miami topped the national list for the highest amount of automobile fatalities and hit-and-run accidents involving pedestrians—on average 35 hit-and-run violations a day.

Statistics showed Miami experienced more distracted driver accidents than any other city in America, with Philadelphia a distant runner-up. South Florida’s increasing problem of distracted drivers and texting sparked Governor Rick Scott to sign a texting ban in May, which will take effect October 1, 2013.

The Florida Department of Transportation plans to sponsor a Distracted Driver Awareness Campaign. The awareness campaign will target teenagers. Governor Scott also emphasized the importance of The National Safety Council’s report that 3,000 teenagers end up receiving hospital treatment due to accidents involving texting. Distracted drivers and texting have become a national public dilemma.

Accident Kills One and Injures Two

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

One person was killed and another injured when a Smart Car and a truck collided at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 15th Street. The accident took place at 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to Miami Police, the Smart Car, which was rented from Car 2 Go, caused the accident by running a red light and t-boning the Chevy Silverado truck.

According to CBS Miami, the driver of the Smart Car was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition. The driver of the truck was treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was released. He suffered a spinal injury and a concussion. The Smart Car passenger died on the scene.

Classes Resume After Deadly Car Crash

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Classes at Miami Dade College’s Liberty City Campus resumed after a fiery car crash killed one person and injured three.

The four-door, silver Lincoln sedan was speeding on Northwest Seventh Avenue before it clipped a light post and crashed into a building. The car was reported stolen on Aug. 18. According to the Miami Police Department, the vehicle exploded immediately after impacting the wall.

The driver of the Lincoln ran away from the accident and left four passengers inside the burning car. One passenger died when the officers arrived.

Driver Arrested Almost 2 Months Later

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

After originating a multi-car accident almost two months ago Isis Cesar, 36, was arrested August 5, 2013 and now faces DUI and manslaughter charges. According to reports, she takes several medications, was under the influence of alcohol at the time and smoked marijuana the day before.

According to police, on May 9, 2013 Cesar was traveling more than 70 mph in an area where the speed limit was 40 mph around 2pm in Northwest Miami-Dade, when her car hit another vehicle turning left at 47th and NW 7th avenue. This caused the other driver’s car to crash into the car of Juan Liriano, age 71. Liriano’s car flew into the air and was hit yet again, ending his life.

Florida DUI and Manslaughter Penalties.

DJ Involved in Fatal Crash

June 17, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

June, 12, 2013, Miami, FL- A forceful rear-end collision that early Sunday morning that sounded like an “explosion” left two men dead and a North Miami DJ in critical condition.

The police report states that a Toyota Corolla traveling east was slowing for a traffic light at Southwest Eighth Street and Douglas Road at 1:20 a.m. when it was rear-ended by another vehicle, a Toyota Camry, driven by local DJ Ervens Prudent, 26.

A witness, who was working in the area, told local station WSVN-TV, “We were wrapping up work, just finished working, and we just heard this great, crazy explosion.” Javier Suarez said. “We saw a car right there on Eighth Street just going around [in circles], doing 360 [turns], and it was really bad. We saw a fire on the floor, and that’s about it. The cops came, and [fire] rescue.”

Miami Waitress Dies in DUI Collision

May 22, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

May, 21, 2013, Miami, FL- A young Miami waitress’s life was cut short last week after she and a friend were involved in head on-collision after a night of celebration in the Florida keys.

Kristin Rivera, 22, and her friend Didier Miles, 24, went to the Keys for an annual bash frequented by South Florida servers on Monday, May 13th. But they were both drinking and one of them wouldn’t return to Miami-Dade alive.

Miles and Rivera, who was a passenger, were allegedly fleeing the scene of the prior accident in a Honda Element when Miles crashed head-on into a Mom’s Taxi Dodge van. The police report stated that Miles drifted from the far right lane in the northbound lane across a left turn only lane into Charles Akullian’s taxi which was in the in the right lane of the southbound lanes.

Should I Hire Miami Accident Attorney?

May 17, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

May, 14, 2013, Miami, FL- Traffic accidents are common enough that they seem routine, and many are just simple fender-benders that can be easily settled in no time by exchanging phone numbers or insurance information. But there are many accidents that entail fatal or catastrophic injuries which come at a great cost to the victim.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles estimates that 1,400 residents of the state are killed on an annual basis. In Miami-Dade County there are approximately 48,000 traffic accidents, resulting in an estimated 35,000 injuries, according 2005 statistics from the Florida DMV.

Many of these accidents are the direct result of another person’s negligence; close to 500 traffic collisions in Miami-Dade are caused by intoxicated drivers. But there are a whole host of other dangerous behaviors that motorists engage in that can have dramatic effects on another person’s life.

Miami Road Debris Accident Kills One

April 26, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

April, 22, 2013, Miami, FL- Accidents by their very nature and definition occur due to unforeseen circumstances. People frequently cause accidents because of distraction, inattention, or other negligence. But on some occasions accidents are caused by road debris or other obstructions, like a recent fatal collision on the Florida turnpike which killed an adult and injured a 13 year-old girl.

Last Saturday, April 20th, Amalia Ramirez-Marquez, 46, was driving south on the Florida Turnpike near Southwest Eight Street with her 13 year-old daughter when she encountered some debris in the road. Ramirez-Marquez attempted to avoid the debris but was unable to, she and lost control of her vehicle. The 2001 Mazda spun around onto a grassy median then slammed into a tree, CBS Miami reported.

The female driver was killed on impact. Her daughter was taken to a Miami hospital in stable condition.

Miami Woman Dies in Turnpike Accident

April 24, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Miami, FL- A member of a Miami church was killed Saturday night on the Florida Turnpike just outside Orlando when the van she was traveling in lost control and ejected her.

North Miami resident Merlenda Chery, 47, was one of at least 19 people headed to Orlando for a mission trip, when the van driver lost control on the Florida Turnpike.

Authorities believe the tread one of the tires separated causing the rubber to peel away from the rim, which sent the van careening down the busy highway were speeds can range from 50 mph to 75 mph. The van rolled-over several times, though police are unclear at this time how many times, the Orlando Sentinel reported.