Recent reports from the Florida Highway Patrol indicate an eight-car pileup in Sarasota was the result of a 37-year-old man from Nokomis failing to stop his semi-truck at a red light.
The accident reportedly occurred at about 3:15 p.m. on Monday, August 5 at the intersection of Coburn Road and Fruitville Road in Sarasota. According to FHP troopers, the truck blew through the stoplight and hit a vehicle being driven by a 71-year-old man from Sarasota. The man driving this first vehicle to be hit sustained the most serious injuries in the accident and was in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
After this first collision, the truck crashed into the left front side of a second vehicle and then continued rotating, when it collided with a third vehicle. The trailer then hit a fourth vehicle, and two of the vehicles that were hit by the truck collided with other vehicles.
In all there were eight total vehicles, including the truck, involved in the accident, all of which had just one person, all of whom sustained injuries. Only one of the drivers involved were not taken to the hospital for treatment, but with the exception of the 71-year-old man, all the drivers’ injuries were classified as minor.
No information was provided about why the truck failed to stop at the intersection.
Traffic infractions point to liability
During the course of any personal injury claim after an auto accident, you’ll need to demonstrate the driver against whom the claim is filed was at fault. In this particular case, the drivers would have witnessed the truck driver going through a red light, a clear infraction that indicates his liability in the case.
For the guidance and advise you need after a car or truck accident, contact an experienced Sarasota personal injury attorney with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.