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Four Tourists Killed in Crash That Shuts Down US-1 in the Florida Keys

in Auto Accident, Personal Injury Attorneys, wrongful death

Four tourists from Spain recently were killed in an accident in the Florida Keys that also involved an industrial truck as well as a recreational vehicle (RV). According to a report from ABC news on the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol’s preliminary investigation showed that a sport utility vehicle carrying the tourists from Spain was attempting to make a left-hand turn when an industrial vehicle approaching from behind rear-ended the SUV, pushing it into oncoming traffic. An approaching RV heading in the opposite direction then hit the SUV, which ricocheted into a tree. The driver as well as the three passengers in the SUV were all killed in the crash. The driver of the industrial truck as well as two passengers in the SUV sustained minor injuries because of the crash. The accident also shut down US-1, the only north-south artery that runs the length of the Florida Keys, for most of the day.

The Unique Dangers Present on Florida’s Roadways

This unfortunate tragedy in the Keys involved many of the hazards that can make driving in Florida particularly challenging. Tourists, particularly those from foreign countries where the driving laws and customs may be entirely different than in the United States, may not be used to driving the same way as American drivers. Unfamiliar roads, street signs, and a language barrier can also contribute to some of the difficulties that tourists find driving on U.S. roads.

This accident also highlights the dangers that can be posed by the large number of RV’s and industrial vehicles on Florida’s roads. Particularly on a two-lane road like US-1 in the Keys, an RV can take up the entire lane and pose a danger to the vehicles in surrounding lanes and even to oncoming traffic. In the example above, the SUV carrying tourists from Spain may not have been pushed into oncoming traffic if the vehicle that hit it from behind had not been a large industrial vehicle. The same is true of the vehicle that then hit the SUV once it was pushed into oncoming traffic. For example, if the SUV had been rear-ended by a smaller car like a Honda Civic, it may not have been sent into oncoming traffic. However, it was hit by a large, heavy industrial vehicle, which weighs much more and has the force to push even a large passenger vehicle like an SUV into oncoming traffic. Similarly, if the SUV had been hit by a regular passenger vehicle when it was pushed into oncoming traffic, the four tourists may have been injured, but may not have been pushed into a tree and killed as a result. Just like commercial vehicles, RV’s are large, formidable vehicles that can cause serious injuries or death for those unlucky enough to be in an accident with an RV.

Contact the Experienced Accident Attorneys of Schwed, Adams & McGinley if You Have Been Injured or a Loved One Has Been Killed in a Florida Motor Vehicle Accident

At Schwed Adams & McGinley, P.A., our experienced personal injury attorneys have more than 150 years of combined legal experience and many of our firm’s cases stem from motor vehicle accidents in which our clients have suffered catastrophic injuries or have been the victim of a wrongful death. These include cases in which our clients have been injured or a loved one has been killed by the driver of an industrial vehicle or an RV. If you were injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident that involved an industrial vehicle or an RV in Florida, contact our experienced attorneys at contact@schwedTlaw.com or (877) 694-6079 today.