Two drivers sustained serious injuries in an accident featuring a head-on collision on U.S. 19 in Manatee County on the morning of Wednesday, June 15.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident happened at approximately 7:30 a.m. just south of 52nd Street West, north of Palmetto. At the time, a 32-year-old Bradenton woman was driving an SUV in the lanes of U.S. 19 heading north, while a 35-year-old woman from St. Petersburg was driving her SUV in the southbound lanes. For unknown reasons, the Bradenton woman veered off the highway, across the median and into oncoming traffic on U.S. 19 south. Her vehicle struck the SUV head-on.
The force of the collision resulted in the first SUV careening into a ditch west of the highway, where it then overturned. The second SUV rotated and came to a stop on the highway. Both women had to be taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Investigators continued to analyze the crash and its cause.
Wrong-way crashes can have severe results
The nature of wrong-way collisions makes them particularly dangerous--more so than most other types of accidents. They often occur at high speeds, and the physics involved enhance the potential of significant injury.
All drivers are expected to remain on their sides of the road at all times. When a driver’s negligence results in a wrong-way collision, a victim can file a personal injury claim against them to hold them liable for their actions.
For more information about the legal steps you should take after an accident, contact a trusted Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.