Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Miami, Florida - Traffic homicide detectives from the Miami-Dade Police Department are investigating a hit-and-run accident that occurred early Saturday morning and left a passenger dead and the driver in serious condition.

The Miami car accident happened around 2:00 a.m. The two victims were east bound on Southwest 42nd Street near 132nd Avenue when their car was hit by another vehicle and then slammed into a tree.

The passenger was killed instantly. The driver was air-lifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Police are searching for the driver of the other vehicle which was described as a silver Suzuki sedan or sport utility vehicle. Anyone who has information regarding this crash is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Continue reading " Miami-Dade Hit-And-Run Leaves One Dead And One Seriously Injured " »

Omaha, Nebraska - A outbreak of gun violence has focused attention on ATM security concerns. In a five day period, there were five shooting deaths.

It began with a robbery attempt at an ATM on a recent Wednesday night. Crime victim, Charles Denton, 21, of Omaha was shot after using an ATM near 50th and Underwood.

ATM’s do have some safety features. Mirrors allow for customers to see behind them, and many have cameras recording the activity at the machine.

Denton’s Mother says the location of the ATM is a problem and thinks it should be removed.

Other who have used that ATM are also uncomfortable because you have to leave your car to get your cash.

Dena Dubas of Omaha said “I kind of look around before I get out and come to it. I prefer drive-up ones so you don’t have to get out of it. I wouldn’t use it at night, though.”

James Walter feels the same way and said, “I have felt uncomfortable the times I have used it, particularly at night.”

Denton is recovering from his wounds. His mom says he should be ok.

A few minutes after Denton called police, another shooting occurred in the area - this one was fatal. Just a few blocks away, 27-year old Tari Glinsmann was shot and killed in the parking lot of the convenience store on 52nd and Leavenworth where she was an employee.

Omaha Police advise everyone to be aware of their surroundings when moving about the city.

Continue reading " Shooting Raises Concerns Over ATM's Location " »

Miramar, Florida - A Broward County car accident left a thirty-six-year old woman dead and her baby seriously injured when the two vehicles involved in the crash collided in the intersection of Pembroke Road and University Drive and then rolled over early Friday morning, officials said.

According to Capt. Jeff Levine, a Miramar police spokesman, the woman, Nayfy Gutierrez, was a Pembroke Pines resident and her husband resides in Peru.

The crash, which involved Gutierrez's Mazda and a Ford truck, occurred after one of the vehicles ran a red light, Levine said. Police are still investigating and have not determined which driver was at fault.

''We have conflicting stories about which person ran the red light,'' Levine said.

Gutierrez was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the Ford truck whose identity has not been released and the child, a 1-year-old, were both transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, according to Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue officials.

Police said the Mazda was north bound on University Drive and the four-door Ford truck was east bound on Pembroke Road when they collided in the intersection.

Investigators are currently speaking to witnesses.

Continue reading " Miramar, Florida - Car Crash Leaves Woman Dead And Her Baby Injured " »

Broward County, Florida - One woman was injured in a South Florida apartment building fire Monday morning. The fire killed several of her kittens and caused serious damage to seven units in a Hallandale Beach apartment building Monday morning.

Hallandale Beach Fire Rescue Fire Rescue transported the female resident of the apartment building to Memorial Regional Hospital for emergency medical treatment.

The fire began around 10:30am inside apartment #4. Thirteen residents were displaced and it took at least six fire trucks to put out the inferno, which was extinguished after about an hour.

According to neighbors, the injured woman is a 54 year old waitress at Oceans 11. Her neighbor, Emilio Gomez, was the one who pulled her out of her apartment.

Fire Department officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

Continue reading " Woman Injured In Hallandale Beach Apartment Fire " »

Gainesville, Florida - Three people were killed in a Florida airplane crash early Friday morning at the edge of the Gainesville Regional Airport. The victims were identified as Key West residents, one of whom was on his way to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida for a transplant.

According to Gainesville police, the pilot, Andrew Ricciuti, 43 was a former Navy pilot who has been flying planes for twenty years.

The two passengers were also identified. Gordon Bennett Taylor, 51, and his wife, Barbara Taylor, 52 were killed in the crash. Their daughter is a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

The airplane was a Parntenavia P.68 which was registered to Robert Valle of St. Croix. Valle said Gordon Taylor was a kidney-transplant patient en route to Gainesville. He was scheduled to have surgery on Friday at Shands Hospital.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials, the aircraft was cleared for approach to the Gainesville airport by air traffic controllers in Jacksonville at around 2:45 am.

Gainesville police received a phone call from officials in Jacksonville at approximately 5:16am on Friday advising them that they had lost contact with a six-passenger airplane in the Gainesville area.

It was not immediately known why there was a 2-1/2 hour delay after the time the plane was cleared for approach before local law enforcement was contacted. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were in Gainesville investigating the cause of this Florida aviation accident.

This is the first airplane crash at the airport in three years.

The NTSB investigation continues.

Continue reading " Airplane Crash Kills Three In Gainesville, Florida " »

Broward County, Florida - A single-car accident in Deerfield Beach, Florida Thursday morning left the driver dead and a passenger seriously injured.

The Broward County car accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on the Southwest 10th Street exit ramp from Interstate 95.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, neither Jason Osteen, 32, of Pompano Beach, who had been driving the car nor his passenger, Nicole Muto, 26, of Deerfield Beach, were wearing seat belts at the time.

Apparently, Osteen misjudged the curve of the ramp. The car left the roadway, slid sideways, flipped over and slammed into a pole.

Osteen was pronounced dead at the scene. Fire Rescue rushed Muto to the emergency room at North Broward Medical Center. She remains in serious condition.

The wreck is still under investigation.

Continue reading " Deerfield Beach Car Accident Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured " »

Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Two people were killed in a head-on collision on the Saw Grass Expressway early Friday morning according to police.

A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said the fiery crash closed the highway for several hours.

Few details have been released at this point but the Coral Springs car accident happened at about 2:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the Saw Grass Expressway, near the intersection with University Drive.

Two people died at the scene of the accident. Their names have not been released. The cause of the accident remains a mystery though FHP is still investigating.

Head-on collisions don't generally happen absent some negligence. It is likely that the Highway Patrol's investigation will determine that someone was inattentive, was intoxicated or was distracted as often happens when drivers are using cell phones. In any case, negligence is almost a given.

Continue reading " Coral Springs Accident Kills Two On Saw Grass Expressway " »