According to the Lakeland Ledger, Peter Gucciardo, 77, of Winter Haven, FL, was driving his 2007 Jeep east on Eloise Loop Road in Winter Haven, FL. The incident occurred around 11:25 a.m. Monday June 29, 2009 when Gucciardo swerved into oncoming traffic and hit another vehicle head-on.
Officials state Gucciardo collided with a 2007 Audi vehicle, driven by Joan Whitehead, 58, of Winter Haven, FL. Whitehead was traveling in the westbound lane of Eloise Loop Road, near the Renaissance subdivision in Winter Haven, FL.
Due to the accident, the two-lane Eloise Loop Road was closed to traffic until 4 p.m. and a medical helicopter landing zone was set up for Whitehead. Gucciardo was reported dead at the scene.
Whitehead was reported to be in stable condition after being flown to Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Lakeland, FL.
Investigators have yet to find out why Gucciardo swerved into the oncoming lane. Both drivers appeared to be wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident.
According to the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), a head-on crash usually occurs when a vehicle passes over a centerline or median and crashes into the approaching vehicle.
A head-on crash also can occur when a driver is knowingly traveling the wrong way in a traffic lane, e.g., passing vehicles on a two-lane road.
The 1999 statistics from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) concluded that:
• 75 percent of head-on crashes occur on rural roads,
• 75 percent of head-on crashes occur on undivided two-lane roads, and
• 83 percent of two-lane undivided road crashes occur on rural roads.
As a personal injury attorney, practicing in Polk County, FL, I have represented victims of head-on collisions. In my experience, driver's often swerve into oncoming traffic due to distractions (such as cell phone usage), falling asleep at the wheel, or driving while intoxicated. Sometimes, the driver swerves while becoming unconscious at the wheel due to a medical condition. This may be the result of medical malpractice. For these reasons, it is critical to hire an attorney who will look beyond the surface to investigate the underlying cause of the crash.
