Naples Legal Blog

Car accidents: man dead in Florida

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

A man from Felda was involved in a fatal crash north of Immokalee early on March 23, according to local sources. Florida authorities have confirmed the death of the man, who was 46 years old, and the injury of a second person. As with many car accidents, this one is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed so far.

According to the limited information in the report, it appears the 46-year-old victim was traveling south on State Road 29 when the accident occurred. A northbound vehicle driven by a 50-year-old Immokalee man attempted to make a left-hand turn onto State Road 82, bringing his vehicle into the path of the southbound vehicle. This led to a head-on crash between the two vehicles.

Car accidents: 3 dead in Florida

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

A serious accident in Sarasota has claimed three lives and shut down a portion of Interstate 75, according to local sources. Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed the deaths of three men, with a fourth in critical condition. As with many car accidents, the cause is unclear and police are still investigating. They are asking the support of the community in determining what caused the tragedy.

According to the limited information available in the report, it appears the accident involved at least four SUVs, a cement truck, a passenger car and a sports car. Police say the drivers of two of the SUVs were on the side of the northbound lanes of I-75 attempting to fix a flat tire when they were struck by a third SUV. It is unclear at this time how the cement mixer and the sports car became involved.

A driver distracted by a pet could cause a serious crash

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Distractions are everywhere. Some people may not even realize when something is distracting them, and in some cases, such as when a person is driving, not recognizing a serious distraction could prove immensely detrimental. In fact, some things that people love the most could actually distract them while behind the wheel.

Most parents would not leave the house without their children, and for many pet parents, that feeling is the same. Throughout your daily travels, you may see many vehicles with dogs in the front or back seat or even freely roaming throughout the vehicle. While this may not necessarily seem odd, it could be dangerous.

5 men busted for selling fentanyl

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

On Feb. 27, Florida authorities arrested five men for allegedly distributing fentanyl and other illicit drugs in Martin County. The defendants were targeted by investigators after two people fatally overdosed in a Stuart residence on Jan. 1.

According to media reports, police detectives used informants to make a series of controlled drug purchases at various locations in Stuart, including a Publix supermarket and the home where the overdoses took place. These drug buys, which ranged in value from $75 to $240, helped authorities identify five male suspects and take them into custody.

3 Florida individuals charged with drug possession

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Three individuals were detained in Florida after police allegedly seized guns, ammunition and street drugs from a home where the individuals were residing. Police were alerted to the possibility of drug sales happening in the home after neighbors complained. An undercover police officer was then sent in to purchase drugs from the home's residents. Based on the evidence the police presented, a warrant was granted to search the home. Local Sarasota police and SWAT team members carried out the warrant in late February 2020.

As a result of the search, a 53-year-old man was detained and charged with selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church. A 27-year-old man was detained and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, drug possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon. A 28-year-old woman was charged with possession of a legend drug.

The time change could result in more fatal car accidents

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

You may be one of the many people who look forward to the time change in the spring. The days will feel longer, and it means that summer is just around the corner. While the time change that happens in March is a positive thing for many, it can also affect sleep patterns, which in turn can affect the way people drive.

Statistics indicate that fatal accidents are actually more common after a time change. During the week following the time change, these types of collisions increase exponentially. Losing an hour of sleep feels inconvenient, but for some, it can have a detrimental effect on cognition, reaction time and attentiveness. Tired drivers are dangerous drivers, and they are more likely to cause serious or deadly accidents.

Study: teens may drive safer when school starts later

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, February 24, 2020.

Distracted and drowsy driving are problems in Florida and throughout the United States, especially among teenage drivers. However, there are ways to minimize the risk for crashes involving teens, and one of them, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, is to push back the time when school starts.

The study focused on the effect that a school time change had in Fairfax County, Virginia. Back in the autumn of 2015, the county chose to push back the time from 7:20 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Analyzing car crashes that involved teens and that occurred in the year prior to and subsequent to the change, researchers found a decrease in the crash rate: specifically, from 31.6 crashes per 1,000 licensed drivers aged 16 to 18 to 29.6 accidents.

Man charged with drunk driving after flashing police car

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, February 21, 2020.

A 63-year-old Florida man has been charged with cocaine possession and driving under the influence of alcohol after allegedly stopping a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy to ask for directions to an auto parts retailer. The deputy says that the sequence of events that led to the man being taken into custody began when he noticed flashing headlights on the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 441 near Belleview on the night of Feb. 8.

The deputy pulled his squad car over after seeing the flashing lights, and he says that he became suspicious when the motorist who approached him seemed unsteady on his feet. The deputy also claims that the driver smelled of alcohol and had watery and bloodshot eyes. The man is said to have agreed to take a standardized field sobriety test after telling the deputy that he was disabled. He allegedly failed the test and provided a breath sample that revealed his blood alcohol concentration to be approximately .0136%, far higher than the state's drunk driving legal limit.

Pedestrian fatalities continue to be major concern in Florida

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

When a moving vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the results are often quite serious. A person who is walking or running is especially vulnerable against an impact from the steel frame of a car or truck. These accidents can leave a pedestrian with grave or fatal injuries, and they are a growing concern in Florida. The state currently has the highest rate of pedestrian accidents in the country.

Nine of the 20 deadliest counties for pedestrians in the United States are in Florida, which means traveling by foot comes with a specific risk if you live in the Sunshine State. Many of these counties are those where you would expect a lot of foot traffic, such as those near beaches and tourist attractions. Part of the problem may be that the design of most Florida roadways is with speed in mind, not the safety of pedestrians.

Fleeing police is a felony offense

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Thursday, February 13, 2020.

Escaping trouble is human nature. It is a form of self- preservation to avoid something that may cause us harm. However, when that escape involves fleeing from police, many drivers end up with even more trouble than they bargained for.

When a driver fails to stop for police, it can lead to a pursuit, which places many lives in jeopardy, potentially including innocent bystanders. That is why Florida laws against fleeing and eluding police are quite strict with penalties that can be severe. If you are facing such charges, you have every right to feel concerned and every reason to seek dependable legal counsel.