Road Rages Cause Damage, Injuries, and Deaths in Florida
Road rages, or just plain anger behind the wheel, can take hold of virtually anyone at the strangest of times and in the strangest of circumstances and lead people to commit serious acts they might otherwise not be capable of. A recent episode in a South Florida apartment complex parking lot involving a dispute over a parking space ended in the death of one of the participants, with the driver fleeing in his car, illustrating this phenomenon perfectly.
The incident occurred when a 57-year-old mother of two was with her daughter when they came home to the daughter’s apartment complex in Hialeah in Miami-Dade County and found someone in her daughter’s assigned parking space in the early morning hours. When the mother confronted the driver of the car that was in her daughter’s space while her daughter went up to her apartment, the driver hit the gas and dragged the victim halfway across the parking lot before gunning the engine and exiting the complex’s parking lot. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics, who were unable to revive her, and then taken to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The entire incident was caught on videotape and police are still searching for the driver.
Although hit and run crashes are rarely this heinous, they are nevertheless much more common than most people realize. Thousands occur in Florida every year and result in countless injuries and deaths due simply to the fact that people cannot keep their tempers in check while behind the wheel.
Road Rages: Unexpected and Often a Stronger Reaction Than You Would Ever Expect
While this situation may have been atypical in many respects, it does highlight the dangers of road rages. Something can happen when people are behind the wheel of a car and they simply snap. Chances are the driver in this scenario is not in the regular habit of acting like this, but something instinctual made him make a terrible decision in the heat of the moment. However, it was not just the gunning of his engine that was a terrible mistake, but also leaving the scene of the incident. Although he likely will face some form of murder charge for striking the victim with his vehicle, it is a criminal offense to leave even the scene of a more “normal” traffic accident if someone is injured or killed or property damage has taken place. However, not only can road rages result in horrific consequences like this recent hit and run accident, Florida drivers need to remember not to lose their cool if you are in an accident or if someone confronts you, or you could end up causing an accident yourself for which you may then be held liable.
Contact Schwed, Adams & McGinley
Road rages and hit and run accidents are unfortunately both more common occurrences than most people would think or expect. It can be particularly tragic when someone lets his or her emotions get the best of him or her. Whether it’s road rage or simply the negligence of another driver that caused you to suffer injuries in a motor vehicle accident in Florida, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys of Schwed, Adams, & McGinley, P.A. if you have been the victim of someone else’s road rage. Our experienced personal injury attorneys have more than 150 years of combined practice representing victims of all sorts of motor vehicle accidents, including those caused by motorists who were exhibiting road rage or a motorist who injured someone else in a hit and run incident in Florida. Therefore, if you, a family member or a loved one have been injured or killed as a result of another motorist’s road rage, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A. today at 877-694-6079 or contact@schwedlawfirm.com for a free consultation.