The crash at Broadway Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue of Polk County, FL happened around 5 a.m., on January 2, 2010, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office crash reports.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, Cynthia Renfroe, 45, of Stagecoach Road, of Polk City, FL, was traveling north on Commonwealth in Polk County, FL in her 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck when a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, which was hauling a 36-foot pleasure boat west on Broadway in Polk County, FL, failed to stop at the stop sign.
The Silverado, driven by Clendon Smith, 63, of Cruisers Drive, of Polk City in Polk County, FL, struck the passenger side of the F-150, the Sheriff's Office reported. The Silverado pushed the F-150 into a power pole and the boat and trailer broke free, hitting another power pole.
Both drivers were transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, in Lakeland, FL in stable condition.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office reported that the intersection was closed for the crash investigation and repairs to the utility poles and power lines. Traffic didn't flow freely again at the accident site until about 2 p.m.
Florida ranks near the top of the list of states for intersection crashes and a third of those are caused by running red lights," said Randall Smith, Traffic Safety Administrator for the Florida Department of Transportation. Research indicates that nearly all of us are afraid of being hit by a motorist running a red light and yet half of us admit we've run one ourselves. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2005, the last year for which statistics are available, there were 96 fatalities and 6300 injuries in Florida as a result of people running red lights.
Rivas Law Group, L.L.C. is a personal injury law firm located in Winter Haven, FL. Attorney Tania L. Rivas is dedicated to meeting the legal needs of Polk County, FL and representing injured victims.
