A West Palm Beach car accident results in one dead, two injured and one in handcuffs. The Monday morning accident happened at the intersection of Elmhurst Road and Military Trail, according to NBC 5.
The arrested driver is accused of driving without a license and is facing charges in the deadly crash. Additional charges are pending, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers urge you to contact an attorney immediately if you’ve been involved in an auto accident. It is important for you to remember to have an appropriate police report filed for any and all accidents, to talk to no one about your accident as statements may be held against you in the court of law and we urge you to seek proper medical attention after an accident.
The West Palm Beach accident is thought to have been a result of the driver’s failure to obey traffic signals. The man, who was taken to jail, is accused of running the red light at that intersection.
As 32 cities on the west coast of Florida, including Palm Springs and West Palm Beach, have already adopted red light cameras, residents sit and wait as Florida lawmakers rethink their decision to make these cameras legal, according to Our Observer.
“Fundamentally, I just find red light cameras, I don’t want to say unconstitutional, but un-American,” said Ritch Workman, State Representative (R) District 30.
As participating local government shelled out more that $8 million to the Department of Revenue after having these cameras active for a mere 7 months, some officials see these devices as far too dangerous regardless of monetary profit. Drivers are more apt to slam on their brakes, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision, at these intersections to avoid a mail ticket.
“Statistics have shown that these cameras have reduced traffic crashes. So, what we like to do is use these 30 days as a time to educate the public,” said Stephanie Slater, spokesperson for the Boynton Beach Police Department.
Some believe the only true reason for the government to give these traffic infraction detectors the green light is to generate more money for local governments as the fine for running through one of these red lights is $158. Official sit on opposing sides of the debate, as do residents.
“Statistics have shown that these cameras have reduced traffic crashes. So, what we like to do is use these 30 days as a time to educate the public,” said Stephanie Slater, spokesperson for the Boynton Beach Police Department.
Red light accidents caused nearly 800 deaths and roughly 165,000 injuries in 2008, according to Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Nearly half of the people killed in these red-light running accidents are not the violators, but other drivers and pedestrians, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach or the surrounding areas, contact the personal injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez. Call for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights at 1-800-529-2368.