Even Bedrooms Aren’t Safe From Car Crashes
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
Personal Injury
Most people have every reason to believe that if they are nowhere near the road and are, in fact, safe and sound, at home, in bed, sleeping and getting rest for the next day, they would be safe from a car crash. The vast majority of the time, most people would be right.But on the night of May 17th, in Port Richey, Michael and Tory Wolter found out they were completely wrong.
Despite having gone to bed for the night and being quite reasonable in their assumption that the only thing they might have to worry about was a burglary, they were the victims of a car crash without being in a car, or even on the street. A 2007 Altima lost control on the street near their home, swept past two trees, and collided not just with their home, but straight into their bedroom where they were helpless to avoid it. The car hit the bed the couple was sleeping on, and pushed them straight into the next room.
Fleeing The Scene
When police arrived, it was already a baffling sight, since most people don’t expect to find a car rammed into a house. But what was more troubling than that was the fact the poor couple inside needed medical attention, and so did the passenger of the car. The driver, however, was nowhere to be found.
Yana Evelyn Turco, also of Port Richey, was the passenger in the car. She’d sustained an injury because she had failed to wear her seatbelt when the car lost control. She and the Wolters both required hospitalization for their injuries and got the medical attention they needed. From Turco, police received the information they needed, and eventually tracked down the driver. Robert Doty, also of Port Richey was 22, was not wearing his seat belt either, and had left the area of the incident, because, according to his claims, he was scared.
Speed & Recklessness Combined
The story of this particular stunning collision is essentially a story of driver’s recklessness, specifically, the reflex that some drivers have to “beat the light.”
State troopers referred to the crash as “intersection related,” because the area is well known as a shortcut to Regency Park Boulevard. However, it does have a traffic light at the intersection, so many drivers, not wanting their short cut to be “ruined” by losing time waiting for a traffic light to change, will often speed through, hoping to get through the intersection before the light changes to red and forces them to stop.
This is clearly a case of neglectful driving, right down to the fact that neither occupant of the car was wearing seatbelts, but that aside, it’s an unfortunate truth of life on the road; many, MANY drivers prefer to gamble on a higher risk of an accident to beat out a traffic light change, because they feel that avoiding the extra minute of downtime at the intersection is worth the risk of life.
If you, or anyone you know has been injured or—worse yet—killed because someone thought that tragedy was preferable to a wait at a stoplight, contact us at The St. Pete Lawyer. We are experienced St. Pete lawyers specializing in personal injury and car crashes, and we can help you get the justice you deserve.