Jacksonville Injury Attorney Blog
A woman was recently killed in a car accident traveling westbound on J. Turner Butler Road in Jacksonville, causing traffic on three main thoroughfares to come to a standstill for more than an hour. The accident occurred when another motorist also traveling westbound drifted over from the right lane and hit the woman’s vehicle in the far left lane, causing the car to crash into a concrete barrier wall in the middle of Butler Boulevard and then flip until it came to a stop near the center median. The woman died at the scene. The driver causing the accident, and a small child who was also in the car, were taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with non-threatening injuries.
Although the cause of the accident was not reported, distracted driving may have played a role. Distracted driving is any non-driving activity, such talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or reading while driving. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved distracted driving. Texting is particularly dangerous, because it usually involves taking your eyes off the road, taking your hands off the wheel, and taking your mind off of what you are doing, according to the NHTSA.
In addition, the area where the crash happened, on J. Turner Butler westbound near Belfort Road, is a particularly dangerous stretch where numerous accidents occur. The combination of fast speeds, incoming traffic from Belfort Road, and road construction, requires that drivers pay close attention and avoid distractions.
Written by Elizabeth Allen
If you have been involved in an automobile accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact our Jacksonville attorneys for a free consultation today. It is critical to obtain legal counsel immediately following an automobile accident. Our attorneys are willing to meet with you at a convenient location and you are not responsible for payment unless we are successful in proving your case.