Wrong-way driver killed in Florida crash

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

On April 14, an alleged drunk driver traveled the wrong direction on Interstate 4 for several miles before slamming head-on into another vehicle, killing herself and injuring the other driver. She reportedly caused two other accidents before the fatal collision, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

It was unclear how the woman ended up driving in the wrong direction. She struck a vehicle just west of State Road 436 and then caused another driver to swerve out of her way and strike a guardrail near Maitland Boulevard. Finally, she struck a Ford pickup truck head-on near Fairbanks Avenue. The woman was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center with injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening, but she was pronounced dead at 5:22 a.m. on April 15. The driver of the Ford, a 71-year-old Altamonte Springs man, was hospitalized in serious condition. The drivers involved in the first two accidents were not injured.

The deceased woman had reportedly been arrested for DUI in October 2008. She was sentenced to one year of probation and her driver’s license was revoked for 180 days. She was also required to attend DUI school and have an ignition interlock device placed on her vehicle until 2010.

Anyone injured in a car collision caused by an impaired driver may wish to speak with an attorney in order to determine the remedies that are available. It may be possible to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other damages. If the impaired driver was killed in the crash, his or her estate can be named as the defendant.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, “Wrong-way driver who died after I-4 crashes had DUI in 2008,” Tiffany Walden, April 15, 2015