Police in Florida say that a 30-year-old forklift truck driver who was involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident on the morning of Nov. 17 was not permitted or licensed to drive heavy machinery. The man faces a raft of criminal charges including a count of fleeing the scene. Media reports claim that the man continued on to a nearby construction site after the deadly crash and only returned to the scene after being pursued by bystanders.
The collision took place at the intersection of Seabreeze Boulevard and Poinsettia Street in Fort Lauderdale Beach. According to police reports, the driver of a southbound Mercedes convertible suffered critical injuries after striking the forklift truck. The forks of the forklift truck were reportedly protruding into the pathway of oncoming traffic when the crash occurred. The man driving the Mercedes was rushed by paramedics to Broward Health Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the medical facility.
Local residents say that they have been begging local authorities to install a traffic light at the dangerous intersection for years. Motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian injuries at the busy junction are common, and traffic in the area has increased significantly in recent months due to the opening of a $20 million parking facility.
Experienced personal injury attorneys will usually file vehicle accident lawsuits against negligent drivers and their insurance companies, but they may initiate legal proceedings against local authorities when crashes could have been prevented by traffic lights or road signs at locations known to be dangerous. This is because local authorities have a duty of care to take all reasonable steps to protect road users. Attorneys may also file this kind of lawsuit when accidents are caused by poor road surfaces that could have been repaired.