An accident in Columbia County Friday afternoon sent a total of thirteen people to area hospitals. At approximately 4 p.m., three vehicles collided in the northbound lanes: a Toyota Forerunner, a tow truck and a White Ford van carrying at least a dozen passengers. Most of the injured were occupants of the Ford van. Ten people were transported via ambulance, which three of the injured were transported via helicopter with life threatening injuries. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but it is thought to be the result of several vehicles slowing down suddenly. The Ford Van was rear-ended by another vehicle, went sent the van into the median.
It is believed that the passengers in the van were not wearing seatbelts. It is also believed that a total of 17 people were in the van, a majority of them foreign workers on their way to their jobs at a local poultry processing plant. Many of them were ejected from the vehicle when it rolled in the median. The magnitude and severity of Friday’s accident shut down most of the northbound traffic on I-75, causing major delays for motorists along the interstate.
Friday accident is yet another in an unfortunately long list of traffic accidents that have occurred on Florida’s highways this year. The Florida Highway Patrol estimates that the total number of traffic deaths in this year in the state may reach over 1,000. Most of these victims are not properly restrained in the vehicle, and thus are ejected in a crash. Crash victims that are ejected have a much lower chance of survival than those properly restrained, as low as 15% in some cases.
Unfortunately for the victims of Friday’s accident and their families, there is no going back to correct the situation now. Loved ones who left for work will never return home through no fault of their own. For the people they have left behind, the task of carrying on without a family member can be devastating. The physical, emotional, and financial strain can be overwhelming, but help is available.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a severe vehicle accident of which you were not at fault, please contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).