A man and two teens from Polk County, FL, were killed in three separate crashes Friday, November 14, 2009 and in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 15, 2009 Polk County authorities said.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, the first accident occurred about 7:30 p.m. Friday on Dundee Road, just west of Carl Floyd Road in Dundee, FL.
Amber Shaw, 17, of Eagle Lake, FL, was driving west on Dundee Road, in Dundee, FL, when her green 1999 Hyundai veered onto the north grassy shoulder, then traveled back onto Dundee Road, Lakeland, Fl, and began rotating into the eastbound lane, where it was struck by another car. A beige 2000 Chevrolet, driven by 52-year-old Lucinda Shelby, struck the Hyundai on the driver's side. Shaw was declared dead on scene. Shelby was not injured. The investigation is ongoing.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts, and the airbags were deployed in each car.
According to an FHP report, a 1990 Ford Taurus station wagon being driven by Thomas Kyle Conroy, 19, of Davenport, FL, was traveling west on Deen Still Road, Lakeland, Fl, when Conroy swerved to avoid an animal and lost control. The car went onto the south shoulder of Deen Still Road, Lakeland, FL, where it crashed into a tree and overturned. Mark E. Tourigny, 18, of Davenport, was killed when the car he was in hit a tree on Deen Still Road west of Lucky World Drive in Davenport about 3 a.m., the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Tourigny died at the scene of the crash. Conroy received minor injuries, the report said. Neither were wearing seat belts.
In the third accident, a 29-year-old, Brian Charles Dier, of 407 Corona Del Mar, in Lakeland, FL, was a passenger in a 2008 Honda Fit which was driven by Heather Nicole Williams, 28, also of 407 Corona Del Mar, in Lakeland, FL, the FHP reported. The two were heading east on Old Polk City Road, Lakeland, Fl, at 4:10 a.m. Williams vehicle failed to stop at State Road 33, the FHP report said. As it crossed the intersection, Williams veered left onto the shoulder of S.R. 33. The right front of her vehicle struck a guide wire, causing it to rotate clockwise, the report said.
Dier, who was not wearing a seat belt, and he was thrown from the vehicle. He died at the scene of the crash from his injuries. Williams, who was wearing a seat belt, received minor injuries, the report said. Both of Saturday's accidents are still being investigated and charges are pending, the report said.
According to a recent article by Steven D. Levitt and Jack Porter, Dier, past estimates of seat belt effectiveness span a wide range. Nineteen case studies reported on seat belt effectiveness had estimates ranging from an 8% to an 86% reduction in death or injury relative to those not wearing seat belts. Recent research and government evaluations continue to support the effectiveness of air bags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that air bags saved more than 3,000 lives between their introduction and September 1998.
In my practice as a personal injury attorney, practicing in Polk County, FL, I represent automobile accident victims. If you have been injured in an automobile accident, you should not delay in consulting with an attorney. Know your rights! Call us toll free at (877) 299-5539 for a free consultation. There are no costs or fees unless you win.
