Lake County accident leaves Florida man dead

A 65-year-old man is dead after being involved in a traffic crash in Lake County, Florida. The serious car accident marked the second traffic fatality in Lake County in a week. Authorities say the wreck occurred when a driver attempted to flee from a police patrol vehicle.

A local police spokesman said that an officer with the department noticed a vehicle without functioning tail lights and turned on her vehicle's lights to perform a routine traffic stop. However, the vehicle failed to stop and continued eastward, and the officer maintained pursuit. The suspect's vehicle then disobeyed a stop sign and made a series of sudden turns in an effort to avoid the pursuing officer.

At this time, the officer claims to have heard a loud crashing noise. She located the suspect's vehicle, which had collided with a pickup truck. The driver of the truck told police that the car's headlights were not turned on at the time of the crash, making it impossible for him to avoid the accident.

The driver of the truck sustained severe injuries and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment, but later died from his wounds. Police say the suspect, who is believed to be a teenager, fled from the crash site and has not yet been arrested. Charges have not yet been filed, but the police investigation is ongoing.

Approximately one week prior to the most recent crash, another Lake County car accident left a 78-year-old man dead after his vehicle was struck by another from behind while waiting at a stop light.

If and when the police hopefully catch the hit-and-run suspect, the victim's family will most likely want to hold the man accountable for his negligent actions. In addition to criminal charges, the family will likely be able to sue for wrongful death, in an effort to extract monetary damages from the suspect to help cover medical and funeral expenses, along with any pain and suffering.

Source: Daily Commercial, "Man killed when truck hits fleeing car," Dec. 6, 2011