Traffic accidents can sometimes be difficult to comprehend. They often happen with blinding speed, and even eye-witnesses cannot provide accurate accounts of exactly what happened. A recent accident in Orange County, near Mile Marker 9 on Route S.R. 417 provides a tragic example of this phenomenon.
The accident
According to the traffic report from the Florida Highway Department, a Mercedes-Benz SUV was traveling north in the inside lane on S.R. 417 behind a Mitsubishi sedan in the center lane. The driver of the Mercedes, a 25 year-old man from Winter Garden, attempted to move into the center lane. The driver apparently misjudged the distances involved, and the Mercedes struck the left rear quarter of the Mitsubishi and threw it into a counter-clockwise spin.
The two vehicles were pushed into northeast directions of travel by the impact. The SUV skidded off the roadway and crashed through a guardrail. The vehicle continued skidding northeast until it struck a tree and overturned.
The injuries
A sixteen-year old man who was a passenger in the SUV suffered serious injuries and was taken from the scene to a near-by hospital by witnesses. He was pronounced dead upon arrival. The driver of the SUV and the driver of the Mitsubishi were both hospitalized in critical condition. The Highway Patrol said that all three victims were wearing seatbelts. Neither alcohol nor drugs was cited as a possible cause of the accident.
What next?
The critical question in this case is what made the Mercedes Benz collide with the Mitsubishi. Media reports appear to lay most of the blame on the driver of the Mercedes, but the answer most likely will be found only when the Florida Highway Patrol completes its investigation of the accident.