An autopsy will be performed Saturday on Amy Kyser, 30, of Lakeland, FL whose obituary said she died of an automobile accident. In earlier accounts of the accident, in which her 10-year-old son, Aaron Orr, also was severely injured, she was listed as Amy Krupp. Ms. Kyser leaves behind a husband, Greg Kyser; two children, Aaron and Destiny; and her mother.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, she and Aaron were traveling south on U.S. 98, in Lakeland, FL in a 2007 Ford Fusion when a northbound truck that had been struck by another truck crossed a portion of the median and flipped into the path of their car.
She initially was declared dead, but firefighters and emergency workers realized she was alive as they were working to remove her son from the wreckage.
She was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, in Lakeland, FL according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Aaron was taken to Tampa General Hospital, in Tampa, FL.
With her death, new charges are pending against Richard Waters, 46, of Bartow, FL the driver of the truck implicated in the crash leading to her death.
He is in the Polk County Jail on two charges of leaving the scene of an accident with serious injuries. His bail was set at $50,000.
Joshua Moore, 21, the driver of a 2002 red Dodge Ram truck that law enforcement said was struck by Waters, also was taken to Lakeland Reginal Medical Center, in Lakeland, FL with injuries. He has been released from the hospital.
A witness followed the white GMC to get the license plate numbers.
Law enforcement said Waters was the driver of a 1997 white GMC truck that hit Moore's vehicle.
Witnesses told the Polk County Sheriff's Office that Waters cut Moore off shortly after Moore had turned onto U.S. 98, in Lakeland, FL from Polk County State College, where he is a student.
The drivers exchanged words or gestures. As the two trucks approached Illinois Avenue, in Bartow, FL.
Waters' pickup struck Moore's truck twice, causing Moore to lose control, the Polk County Sheriff's Office stated.
Moore's Dodge flipped into the path of Kyser's southbound vehicle, Waters continued driving and didn't look back, according to police reports.
Detectives went to Waters' Bartow home and arrested him.
According to the Road Injury Prevention & Litigation Journal, most of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) traffic safety programs are designed for English-speaking motorists and pedestrians.
The United States population, however, has many culturally diverse groups. Hispanic Americans are the third largest racial group in the United States, yet there is little data on their involvement in vehicle crashes or their attitudes toward traffic safety. In an effort to bridge that gap, Sandra Sainz and Mitsuru Saito conducted a study and reported their findings in "Hispanic Involvement in Motor Vehicle Accidents"
My heart goes out to the Kyser family in this most difficult time. Our prayers are with little Aaron for a safe recovery. Based on the facts discussed in the article, it appears that the initial crash which caused this fatal collision was an intentional act. It is important to note that all insurance policies cover accidents and an intentional act is typically policy exclusion. This would be an important first step in analyzing whether the Kyser family can pursue a personal injury claim.
