The Sarasota Police Department is investigating an accident that occurred earlier this summer near the entrance to Bird Key Park on the John Ringling Causeway.
According to police, security guard Joe Abel was changing shifts at Bird Key Drive when he heard a sudden “pop” sound that he said sounded like a gunshot. He and his shift replacement initially dismissed the sound, but when Abel turned out on to John Ringling he saw a vehicle engulfed in flames, and a body lying about 30 feet away from the car with police already at the scene.
The police report stated that a pair of teenage brothers and their friend were traveling in a sedan west across the John Ringling Bridge when the driver lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons, striking the side of the bridge and a tree. One of the boys was ejected from the vehicle. The two brothers were found dead inside the vehicle after the fire was extinguished. Officers were not able to determine who had been driving.
Single-car accidents can still result in injury claims
Although most personal injury claims stemming from car accidents involve cases in which two or more vehicles were in the wreck, there are some circumstances in which single-car accidents can result in injury claims. A passenger could file a personal injury claim against the driver if he or she was negligent, or the driver could potentially have a claim against a vehicle manufacturer if a defect in the vehicle design or manufacturing caused the accident.
For further guidance on your legal options if you’ve been injured in an auto accident, consult a dedicated Bradenton personal injury lawyer with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.