Florida accident leaves 2 dead, 2 injured
Authorities say they are unsure what might have caused a fatal traffic accident on State Road 64 in Florida, explaining that weather and road conditions should have been safe at the time but that impaired visibility could have been a factor. A sergeant with the Florida Highway Patrol said investigators are awaiting the results of a toxicology test to determine whether either of the two drivers involved in the crash were intoxicated at the time. The investigation is still pending and a cause has yet to be determined, the sergeant explained.
Police say the serious car accident occurred when a 50-year-old driver lost control of her SUV for an unknown reason, causing the vehicle to veer across the center line. The SUV then crossed into the path of a second SUV, causing the two vehicles to slam into each other head on. Investigators say there were no skid marks visible on the roadway, suggesting that neither driver braked in effort to avoid the collision.
The first SUV's driver was killed in the crash. Emergency response personnel transported all three occupants of the second SUV to a medical facility for treatment. The vehicle's 58-year-old driver and a 15-year-old passenger sustained serious injuries. Sources from the FHP said they had not received updates on their condition, but noted that at least one of the two victims required surgery on the night of the accident. The vehicle's second passenger, 56, died from her injuries after being admitted to the hospital.
Police say the accident took place on an S-curve, which could have prevented the drivers from seeing each other. The caretaker at a nearby church seconded this suggestion. "People don't realize the extent of that curve. You can't carry that much speed into that curve," he explained. While it is unclear whether the caretaker witnessed the collision, he noted that he heard a helicopter approach the site soon after the crash.
Source: Bradenton.com, "2 die in crash near Myakka City," Elizabeth Johnson, Jan. 10, 2012
