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.

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. 

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.

Stephen Caputo of St. Petersburg was riding his Schwinn beach cruiser at Belcher Rd and 118th Avenue in Pinellas Park around 5 a.m., when William Colwell of Tampa, driving a Chrysler, struck Caputo's bike from behind. The victim reportedly hit the car's windshield and was then thrown into the road.

According to police, Colwell stopped after the incident, but then a second vehicle also struck the victim's bike, and kept driving. Caputo, who was said to not be wearing a helmet but was wearing a reflective vest, died at the scene.

The bike did have a small rear light, and a flashlight was taped to the handlebars, but authorities weren't sure if the lights had been working at the time of the accident.

While police investigated, the southbound lanes surrounding the scene of the accident were closed for several hours. Traffic charges are still pending, as Colwell claimed he did not see the bicyclist.

Nicoletti, the 20-year old junior at UT, was walking with several friends to the Metro Food Mart across from campus on Saturday night at about 1:15am. As they crossed W. Kennedy Blvd just west of North Blvd heading back to campus, a motorist hit and killed Nicoletti, and injured one of his friends who was visiting from out of town.

Nicolletti was taken off life support on Monday afternoon. His family was reportedly encouraged and overwhelmed at the support of the student body and of the Tampa community, as well as glad that an arrest was made. The other victim, Nicoletti's friend, Cree Alisha Riley, 19, likely has a long road to recovery. Visiting Nicoletti from out of town, she suffered a broken jaw, hip and legs.

The driver of the vehicle, Andres Trujillo, 27, fled the scene, but officers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office found the vehicle, abandoned ,shortly after the accident. Trujillo turned himself into authorities Sunday evening. Police records indicate past charges against Trujillo included disorderly intoxication, robbery, and imprisonment for attacking an officer. Charges against the driver, originally for leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury, are anticipated to be upgraded to leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

According to Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the grandson, Dylan, was at the residence with his uncle's girlfriend, Pamela Pelham, and had been playing outside in the yard when Bo got off his chain and came running to Dylan. At first, Bo knocked Dylan down and started playing with him, which was nothing out of the ordinary for the family, who normally used their feet and shoes to play tug-of-war with the pet.

The "playing" soon turned ugly and when Dylan started kicking, Bo started biting. When Pelham finally got the dog off of Dylan, the boy couldn't walk. His left leg was shattered and there were several wounds on his arm.

Dylan was taken to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, where a registered nurse told investigators that the boy would need surgery and likely have a limp for the rest of his life. Dylan is still scared and confused at why his beloved pet attacked, but is said to be doing well, and has a cast on his leg.

The family has relinquished ownership of the dog to Animal Control and Bo is being held in quarantine for 10 days since it was discovered that he was never vaccinated. After that, he will be euthanized. Denise Hilton, an animal services manager for Pasco County Animal Control, claimed that the dog attacked with intent to hurt Dylan and that Bo posed a serious threat to the public.

Although Dylan's mother had the option, she declined to press charges (for improper confinement of a vicious animal, which would have totaled $260) against her brother. The family was issued a citation of $143.00 for failing to vaccinate Bo.

Many dog bite victims are unclear about their rights and issues of liability after an attack. If you have been or find yourself a victim of such an attack, you may be entitled to compensation. Attorney John T. Grove is experienced in handling dog bite claims and can guide you through the trying process if you have been attacked.

The firefighter, driving her Harley-Davidson collided with a Tarpon Springs man in a Chevy pickup after she drove the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of S. Village Drive. While the driver of the pickup was not injured, the firefighter, Patti Valero of Brandon, was said to be in critical condition and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. The collision is still under investigation and no one has been cited yet.

The Law Offices of John T. Grove handles motorcycle collisions frequently and knows the harsh emotional, physical, and financial damages victims often experience.  Call Attorney John T. Grove for your FREE consultation today.

The driver of the Chevrolet Trailblazer was pulling out of the post office driveway on County Road 1 when she collided with Beebe, on his 1986 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Although he was wearing his helmet, Beebe was taken to Mease Dunedin Hospital where he died later that afternoon.

No injuries or citations to the driver of the Trailblazer have been reported, but details of the fatal collision are still under investigation.

The Law Offices of John T. Grove handles motorcycle accidents every day and has seen first-hand the financial and physical damages such collisions can cause. Contact the Law Offices of John T. Grove today.

For those struggling financially, motorcycles may seem like a wise choice...but at what cost? In 2007, when neither he nor his mother could afford a car, a 17-year old Ridgewood High senior saved up and got a used motorcycle for $1,300. His ride turned fatal in November of that year when his motorcycle collided with a car on U.S. 19. 

Trend experts suggest that the affordability of the bikes has fused a statewide surge in motorcycle injuries and deaths.  With the number of registered motorcyclists up to 582,740 in 2006, compared to 339,488 in 2002, the number of fatalities is also on the rise. In 2002, Florida repealed its Helmet Law for bikers, so that currently the law is only enforcing that riders under the age of 21 need to wear a helmet, and riders over the age of 21 who choose to ride without a helmet now must carry insurance for $10,000 in medical payments coverage, in the event that they are involved in an accident.  And, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, it seems that they continue to be involved in those accidents, as over 40 percent of motorcyclists that are killed in collisions were not wearing helmets.

While contributing factors like youth, inexperience and speed are usually thought to be the cause of crashes with motorcycles, law enforcement officials suggest there is really an equal amount of collisions caused by careless drivers, or those who didn't see the motorcyclists. However, in Florida, those in motorcycle accidents are six times more likely to die than automobile drivers. The battle of placing blame between car drivers and motorcyclists is not likely to end anytime soon, but the reality, as stated by Sgt. Jim Bordner, spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, is "the roadways are only as safe as the worst driver."  (http://www.sptimes.com/) 

Sgt. Tracy Schofield, the special operations supervisor, was recently a victim of an aggressive driver himself. Schofield believes the rise of aggressive drivers can be contributed to the country's economic status and the extra financial and personal stressors people are experiencing. (TBNWeekly.com) Police are especially looking for drivers who run red lights, tailgate, change lanes aggressively and those who speed. In the most recent effort of traffic enforcement,108 citations were made for speeding, DUIs and other violations. Police are even turning to unexpected and unconventional ways to stop violators and cut down on reckless driving, by using more unmarked cars, and even disguising officers.

Many of these aggressive drivers are thought to be 25 years old and younger, however the number of middle aged and senior violators are on the rise as well.  Younger drivers are more likely to drive high performance vehicles. Wednesday and Saturday nights have been deemed the most dangerous nights on the roads in Pinellas Park and the surrounding areas, as several local establishments sponsor weekly motorcycle and car events on those evenings.

Motorcyclists are also more inclined to break driving laws than motorists, according to Schofield. A common ticket for motorcyclists has been for doing "wheelies" on city streets, but the cyclists are starting to find ways around the ticket. Some mount their plates on hinges, so if spotted by the police they can flip up their plates and speed away from police, with the knowledge that most police agencies have "no chase" policies. While "wheelies" for some may seem harmless and fun, there are some serious consequences.  Even if it's the first time a motorcyclist has been ticketed for a wheelie, they can face a fine that's over $1,000.00. If that weren't enough to defer cyclists, second offenders' fines can be up to $2,500.00 and third time offenders not only may pay a substantial fine, but become felons and may face up to a year in jail.

Since there is no specific law which governs "aggressive driving", motorists engaging in risky road behavior are actually ticketed for other violations, such as speeding or tailgating. What many drivers may not be aware of however, is that the officer can use his or her discretion to check an "aggressive driving" box on a summons, which in turn gives the judge a clue to impose a higher fine on the driver or require them to take an aggressive driving course.

In addition to revealing these high-fatality areas, the study claimed that males are involved in more fatal crashes than females, at a ratio of 2.33 to 1. Statistics also show that car accidents are the number one killer of teenagers.

While modern technology has been beneficial to the car manufacturing industry, providing safer cars that are more focused on driver and passenger safety, rather than keeping the car intact, (as was common in the past) many people are pointing fingers at the development of devices that can be of distraction while driving. Cell phones, texting, DVD players and TVs in cars are now added to the list of possible hazardous distractions, in addition to other concerns such as playing with the radio, eating, and distracting passengers.

This alarming study, along with several others, has prompted insurance companies to take action to protect their teenage drivers. Companies are now implementing educational and outreach programs for teen drivers. Programs like State Farm's "Steer Clear" provide financial incentives for teens after they complete booklets and interviews, covering topics such as mileage, driving tips and safety questions. Some State Farm agents even provide the option of meeting with new teen drivers and their parents for a one-on-one session about the dangers of the road, and what safety precautions teen drivers should take.

While laws have passed in many states, such as California, New Jersey and New York prohibiting activities such as texting and talking on cell phones while driving, Florida has not yet put such precautionary measures in place.

These disturbing statistics shed a harsh and realistic light on the dangers of the road for inexperienced drivers.  It is important for new drivers not only to take safety precautions, but also to know their rights in case an accident should happen. The Law Offices of John T. Grove handles auto accidents throughout the state of Florida and can assist you and answer any questions you might have regarding traffic regulations and your rights in an auto accident.   

The motive behind the crackdown? Electra Bustle, executive director of the state highway safety agency, explains that the drivers being targeted demonstrate not only a repeated tendency to crash, but also the tendency to be at-fault. Bustle continued that to even change one person's behavior in order to avoid a crash would be a success. (The Miami Herald). Officials are hopeful that the new law will provide drivers with an incentive to drive more carefully. In addition, it has been suggested that it will aid in keeping insurance rates down. 

Currently, officials suggest that there are more than 3,200 drivers in the state who fit in the most dangerous category. Luckily for them, safety officials will begin counting violations on January 1st, so previous citations will not be considered. The current law only requires a four-hour refresher course for drivers with two crash-involved citations, which can be taken on the internet and does not involve behind the wheel training that the new law will include.

Statistics show that of those 3,200 drivers, most are likely to be white men, aged 40 or younger. While many may believe the Florida stereotype that the elderly are the most dangerous drivers, in actuality, only 7 percent are over 65 and more than a third are under age 25.

Not surprisingly, the most populous county, Miami-Dade held the largest number of dangerous drivers in 2008. Not far behind, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties rank third and fourth, respectively.

The research, triggered by doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after treating several serious golf cart related accidents, studied emergency room databases from 2002 to 2005. Results suggest that during that time span, about 48,000 golf cart accidents took place nationwide, injuring roughly 1,000 Americans a month. Research also revealed that an estimated 50% of the accidents happened on the golf course, while the other half generally occurred at homes, on streets and other public property. Young males between the ages of 10 and 19, as well as men 80 and up, were found to have the highest injury rates in these accidents. For those accidents on the golf course, it is speculated that alcohol often plays a primary factor in the cause of collisions.

Some credit the lack of a requirement for safety equipment, such as windshields, signaling lights and mirrors, as the cause of many of these accidents, especially when traveling on public streets. Although they can be modified to exceed regular speeds, most golf carts are only designed with top speeds of 15 mph, solely with golf course travel in mind. Complaints have been made that the very little federal regulation and minimal requirements by states has also fed into the climbing injury rates. Most states do not have an age requirement to drive a golf cart, nor do they mandate the necessity of a license or safety equipment in order to operate a cart.

The regulations vary greatly by state. Operating any unlicensed vehicle, including golf carts, is illegal in Alabama, for instance. Florida law states that carts can be used on streets, but only after they are modified to operate at a top speed of 20 to 25 mph. While they can still be banned, many communities and subdivisions are creating specified areas for golf cart travel, some of which do come with limitations and regulations.

In general, who is driving and where they are driving seem to be the top culprits in golf cart injuries. The researchers suggest careful monitoring of any children or minors operating the carts, as well as mandatory safety regulations.

 
As a golf cart injury attorney, I have seen the adverse effects of these accidents upon clients. In communities like The Villages, Florida, where our new office is located, golf cart travel is becoming both extremely popular and extremely dangerous. The experience of The Law Offices of John T. Grove can advise you and help you achieve recovery for your golf cart accident injuries.

Golf cart travel is now a go in the Mainlands subdivisions off of U.S. 19, along with the entrance road to Freedom Lake Park from 102nd Avenue and parts of 102nd Ave, as well as on Mainlands Blvd and 40th Street. Many of these roads are connected to golf-cart friendly paths.

Locals should be aware that the allowance of golf carts on these roads also came with limitations and regulations. Travel on golf carts is only permitted in daylight hours, on the designated streets (which will have posted signs to indicate permission). Carts are not allowed on sidewalks or on the trails of Freedom Lake Park. They have to abide by rules and not interfere with the normal traffic flow, as well as maintain working brakes, steering and tires, a rear-view mirror and reflectors. Although it is not yet necessary to obtain a license to operate a golf cart, officials have mandated that drivers must be at least 16 years of age.

The council decision sprang from the requests of several residents, who were aware that in many communities golf cart travel is a convenient and popular means of transportation.

Attorney John T. Grove with an office just north of the Mainland on US 19, handles injury claims from automobile accidents and golf cart accidents. If you have been involved in an accident, call our office for a free consultation to learn your rights.

While many people take comfort in thinking that their golf cart is covered by their homeowners policy, manager of The Villages Homeowners Association, Jodi Harner, explained why that is a dangerous assumption. She explained to The Villages Daily Sun that companies usually only cover golf carts when driving from the home to the golf course and vice versa. This may provide comfort to the avid golfers, but for the large number of residents who use their carts as a primary mode of transportation within the community roads, there is a large risk involved.

Harner and local insurance agents are urging residents to take the necessary extra steps to obtain insurance specifically for their golf carts. Depending on the value of the cart, insurance is usually relatively inexpensive compared to the possibility of paying thousands in medical bills resulting from golf cart accident injuries. Harner further explained that even if one's homeowners insurance will not insure their cart, buying a separate policy from another company that covers collision, bodily injury liability, and property liability usually runs to be around $100 and is well worth it.

Although this kind of insurance is highly recommended, it is actually not mandatory for "true" golf carts. Lt. Nehemiah Wolfe of the Sumter County Sheriff's Office explained to The Villages Daily Sun that "by Florida statute, a golf cart is defined as a vehicle going to and from the golf course, and statute specifies that golf carts not be capable of exceeding 20 mph. If you modify it to go faster than that, it's considered a motor vehicle." (The Daily Sun). In other words, if driving a modified cart, residents can be issued a citation for operating a motor vehicle without registration, which can equate in a court appointment. Further, if there is an accident in an illegal cart, it is possible that one's insurance company may deny the claim.

The Law Offices of John T. Grove, located at 8630 County Road 466, The Villages, Florida 32161 handles injury claims including automobile accidents, golf cart accidents and slip and fall injuries. Insuring one's golf cart under its own policy is recommended to protect yourself against the unfortunate possibility of an accident with the cart.