Tampa St. Petersburg Injury Lawyer Blog

The climbing number of pedestrian deaths recently has triggered Clearwater Police to launch a campaign for safety.

Yesterday, December 21, through today, police will be watching the busiest streets, conducting a special safety detail, through which they hope to prevent and lower the rising amount of pedestrian deaths.

Since research shows that most pedestrian deaths occur when people attempt to cross outside of crosswalks, the police department will be keeping an eye out for jaywalkers in particular, along with anyone seemingly attempting to interrupt safe traffic flow.

Tickets will be issued to those individuals at a fine of $62.00 each, though the police are stressing the main reason they are patroling is to encourage safety on the roads.

Continue reading "Frequent Pedestrian Deaths Trigger Clearwater Police to Take Action" »

A Pinellas Park High School student was killed December 18, while trying to catch the bus to school.

Nora Hernandez-Huapilla, 17, was at the intersection of 66th St and 70th Avenue with a class mate, when they saw their bus pull up across the street. Attempting to catch the bus, they ran across the intersection and the girl was hit. 

The driver who hit Hernandez-Huapilla was said to be heading northbound, and had a green-light.  Investigators said is was dark and rainy at the time of the accident, but they don't think speed was an issue. Hernandez-Huapilla was taken to Bayfront Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead.

Some are pointing fingers at Pinellas County School District, who has had to relocate several stops lately, as the arterial bus stops have been presenting safety issues and raising controversy recently.

Although Julie Janssen, Pinellas County School Superintendent, states parents are responsible, "...when they choose to allow their children to go to a school thats not their zoned school," others want more changes in the stops.

A family member of Hernandez-Huapilla suggested the family had made several complaints about the safety of the bus stop.  Pinellas County School Superintendent Michael Bessett confirmed the family had called once in October and claimed the district was handling the request accordingly. 

Continue reading "Pinellas Park Teen Killed at Bus Stop" »

In the early morning of November 30, a woman hit and then saved the life of a pedestrian she hit in Clearwater.

Patricia Syraski, a respiratory therapist, was on her way to work at Tampa General Hospital at about 6 am when she hit a pedestrian crossing Gulf to Bay Blvd. She described that he was walking in the darkness and not in a crosswalk. Syraski immediately pulled over and said the man was not breathing when she got to him. After flagging down another motorist, who called 911, she was able to perform CPR and revive the man, with the aid of a doctor who stopped to help.

The pedestrian was then taken to a hospital via helicopter when paramedics arrived. The accident shut down Gulf to Bay traffic in both directions for a short time. Clearwater police did not expect there to be any charges.

Continue reading "Driver Hits, Saves the Life of Clearwater Pedestrian" »