News

At the Law Offices of William K Saron, we strive to keep Floridians informed of relevant issues including serious accidents, pedestrian accidents, car accidents, slip and fall injuries and dog bites. We handle cases in Pinellas County and throughout all of Florida. If you have been injured in an accident, call the Law Offices of William K. Saron and let us fight for you.

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Car Accidents

• Clearwater Car Accident Injures 7-Year-Old Boy
  Nov 25, 2009

  A Clearwater car accident involving three vehicles ends in a 7-year-old boy suffering life-threatening injuries. The incident took place at approximately 9:00 PM on Saturday evening, November 7, 2009 at the intersection of Belcher Road and Cleveland Street.
  
  According to the Clearwater Police Department, the victim, Alan Asmitia, 7, of Clearwater, was traveling in a Ford SUV driven by Filiberto Belmont, of Clearwater, at the time of the accident. Belmont was traveling eastbound on Cleveland Street and allegedly ran a red light and slammed into a Ford Pickup truck heading south on Belcher Road driven by James Preston, of Clearwater.
  
  The force of the impact caused Asmitia, who was in the cargo compartment of the SUV, to be ejected from the rear glass of the vehicle and into a light pole. Rescue workers transported him to Bayfront Medical Center where he was treated for life-threatening injuries.
  
  The collision caused Belmont’s SUV to strike a 2003 Pontiac Grand AM heading north on Belcher Road. The Grand Am was driven by Ryan Cark, of Dade City.
  
  There were no other injuries reported.
  
  The incident is still under investigation by authorities. However, police indicate that they do not think that alcohol played a contributing factor in the wreck. - 41 - 50

• Manatee Pedestrian Accident Kills 59-Year-Old Man
  Nov 22, 2009

  A Manatee car accident results in the death of a 59-year-old pedestrian who was attempting to cross a busy street. The incident took place at approximately 6:30 PM on Monday evening, November 9, 2009 near the 1800 block of Cortez Road.
  
  According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the victim, Dennis L. Erlandson, 59, of Bradenton, was attempting to cross the busy street at 17th Street West when he allegedly stepped in front of a 1999 Ford pickup truck. He was walking from the north shoulder to the south shoulder when the driver of the truck, who was heading east on Cortez Road, could not avoid Erlandson and slammed into the pedestrian.
  
  According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Erlandson was pronounced dead at the scene.
  
  Witnesses arrived on the scene to see a blanket covered body laying on the road as well as several Florida Highway Patrol cruisers and emergency vehicles blocking the busy roadway. Many of the witnesses commented on how dangerous it is to cross Cortez Road and indicated that there should be more street lights installed.
  
  The incident is still under investigation. However, neither speed nor alcohol is believed to be contributing factors in the accident, according to troopers. Charges are not expected to be filed against the 33-year-old driver of the pickup truck who is from Bradenton. - 42 - 50

• Manatee Car Accident on I-75 Kills a Bradenton Man
  Nov 16, 2009

  A Manatee car accident along Interstate 75 outside of St. Petersburg kills a Bradenton man. The incident took place at approximately 1:00 AM on Sunday morning, November 25, 2009.
  
  According to the Florida Highway Patrol, George E. Jespen, 49, of Bradenton, was struck by a car after he exited the vehicle he was in that had been involved in a crash along the northbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 223.
  
  According to the FHP, the chain reaction accident began when a 2003 Chevrolet SUV suddenly veered off the interstate and onto the inside shoulder. In an attempt to gain control of his vehicle, the 28-year-old Madeira man then overcorrected to the left causing his car to rollover several times and finally coming to a stop partially blocking the left and center lanes.
  
  A second vehicle, a 2008 Chevrolet that Jespen was traveling in as a passenger, then rear ended the SUV. Jespen and the driver exited the car and walked to the inside shoulder of the interstate.
  
  According to the FHP, a third vehicle, a 2009 Nissan, driven by a 29-year-old Sarasota man, failed to slow down, veered off the roadway into the same inside shoulder striking and killing Jespen.
  
  Rescue workers transported the driver of the SUV to a nearby hospital where he was treated for serious injuries. The driver of the Nissan suffered only minor injuries.
  
  The driver of the vehicle that Jespen was traveling in also suffered minor injuries.
  
  The incident is still under investigation. - 43 - 50

• Motorcyclist in Serious Condition After Largo Accident
  Nov 07, 2009

  A Florida accident involving a motorcyclist and a car end with a man being sent to a St. Petersburg hospital.  The incident took place at approximately 5:15 PM on Tuesday evening, October 27, 2009.
  
  According to Largo Police Sgt. Keith Barton, the Largo accident happened on northbound Seminole Road near 11th Avenue when a car made a U-turn in front of the motorcycle, which was driven by Adrian Brown.
  
  The driver of the car, a Toyota Corolla, was Kate Stone. According to Barton, the motorcycle was traveling between 45 to 50 mph when it collided into the passenger side of the Toyota. Brown was ejected from the motorcycle due to the force of the impact.
  
  Brown was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. However, he did suffer serious injuries and was transported to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.
  
  Stone was not injured in the accident.
  
  Rush hour commuters were inconvenienced when three northbound lanes of Seminole Boulevard were shut down due to the accident.
  
  Barton has indicated that the accident is still under investigation, however, no one has been cited as of yet. - 44 - 50

• Woman Sent to Hospital Following Clearwater Accident
  Oct 28, 2009

  A series of Clearwater car accidents, outside of St. Petersburg, ended with a woman being sent to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries.  The incident took place at approximately 7:30 PM on Friday evening, October 16, 2009 when a driver was struck by a car while she was investigating a preceding accident that she caused.
  
  According to Clearwater Police spokeswoman Joelle Castelli, the unidentified driver was heading eastbound on Drew Street approaching Hampton Road.  Police report that the driver failed to stop at the red light causing the first accident.
  
  According to Castelli, the driver got out of her vehicle to check on the condition of the other driver.  She was then struck by a third car. Rescue crews transported her to a nearby hospital where she was treated for injuries. She was listed in critical condition and then later upgraded to serious condition. Castelli said that she was expected to live.
  
  Investigators report that neither of the other drivers were injured in the accidents. Their identities have not been released by authorities.
  
  The Florida accident is still under investigation by local authorities. However, officials do not believe that alcohol and speed were contributing factors in either of the Clearwater incidents. - 45 - 50

• Manatee Car Accident Sends Four to the Hospital
  Oct 26, 2009

  A Florida car accident sends four people to local hospitals. The car crash that took place in Manatee, just south of the Tampa Bay area, happened at approximately 8:25 PM on Sunday evening, October 4, 2009.
  
  The Manatee car accident occurred at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Whitfield Avenue. Farhadiva Atencio, 28, of Bradenton, failed to stop at a red light at the intersection, crashing into a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The SUV was in the process of making a left turn, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, when Atencio slammed into it.
  
  Atencio suffered minor injuries and was transported by rescue crews to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Alexis Machado, 42, of Sarasota, was also in the vehicle that slammed into the SUV. Machado was flown to Bayfront Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.
  
  Jesus Rodriquez, 55, of Sarasota was driving the SUV when the Manatee incident occurred. There was a 13-year-old-girl on board.  Both victims were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
  
  The Florida Highway Patrol has not released the name of the 13-year-old passenger as well as the extent of the injuries suffered by the victims in the SUV.
  
  The Florida car accident is still under investigation by local authorities. - 46 - 50

• Two Students Remain in Hospital after Being Stuck by Car in Hudson, Florida
  Oct 20, 2009

  Two students were injured in a Hudson, Florida car accident. The incident took place at approximately 7:00 AM Tuesday morning, October 6, 2009. The accident happened on Utica Drive just south of New York Avenue in Hudson.
  
  The two victims, William B. Calder, 13, and Walter Edelman, 15, both of Hudson, Florida, were walking to their school bus stop when they were stuck by a car, according to Florida Highway Patrol troopers. They were reportedly in the street when the driver, Deanna Leggio, 21, Hudson, struck the two teenage boys.
  
  According to Florida Highway Patrol Sergeant Larry Kraus, Leggio told troopers that she had to swerve to miss a group of children walking on Utica Drive. She added that she did not see the two victims, who were apparently walking apart from the group.
  
  Edelman is in the ninth-grade and attends Hudson High School. Calder is in the seventh-grade and attends Hudson Middle School.  Both boys remain hospitalized at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
  
  According to authorities, Leggio did not sustain any injuries.
  
  The incident is still currently under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
  
  The school board is also reviewing the details of the accident that involved two of its students. - 47 - 50

• I-75 Crash Sends Five to Hospital
  Oct 19, 2009

  
  A Florida car accident in southern Manatee County sends five to local hospitals. The accident took place along Interstate 75 at approximately 5:45 PM on Tuesday afternoon, October 13, 2009.
  
  The one-vehicle crash involved a Ford Explorer that was traveling north on I-75. According to Florida Highway Patrolman Lt. Chris Miller, the SUV was in the far left lane when the tread on the tires apparently separated causing the vehicle to swerve off the road and overturning.
  
  The incident happened near mile marker 223, north of the University exit. Miller said that shards of glass littered the road and white marks were found indented in the pavement where the SUV’s tires are believed to have separated. Tire separation can be a result of the tires hitting an object or due to the condition of the tires, he later commented.
  
  There were six passengers in the Explorer at the time of the crash, in which five sustained injuries. Authorities have not released the identities of the people involved.
  
  One of the victims was reported as being in critical condition after being ejected from the vehicle. That person was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
  
  A second passenger was also ejected from the SUV. That person and three others were transported to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and were treated for serious injures.
  
  Only one passenger is believed to have been wearing a seatbelt in the Florida car accident, according to troopers. - 48 - 50

• Man in Critical Condition after Being Struck by a Fire Truck
  Sep 29, 2009

  A homeless man is in critical condition after he was run over by a St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue truck. The incident took place at the fire station on Fourth Avenue South in St. Petersburg, Florida.

  The victim, Ted Allen Lenox, 41, was run over by the truck sometime Thursday afternoon, September 24, 2009. He was immediately transported to Bayfront Medical Center where he was treated for injuries and remained in critical condition, according to St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue spokesperson Lt. Joel Granata.

  According to reports, Lenox was laying in front of the bay doors to the fire station when the truck was being dispatched to another accident. Neither the medical technician Jason Springer nor paramedic David Bucholz saw Lenox before pulling out of the fire station. Apparently the undercarriage of the fire truck caught Lenox’s body and pushed him forward. At that point the rear wheels of the truck ran over his legs.

  According to Granata, Springer and Bucholz were upset over the incident.  “They go out and save lives every day,” said Granata. “The last thing they want to do is cause any type of injury.”

  Authorities report that alcohol may be a factor. Lenox appeared to have been inebriated at the time of the accident.

  - 49 - 50

• Two People Sent to the Hospital in St. Petersburg Accident
  Sep 25, 2009

  Two women were sent to the hospital after a St. Petersburg car accident involving two vehicles crashed into one another. The accident took place on 38th Avenue N in the Central Florida city.

  The car accident took place at approximately 11:15 AM Sunday morning, September 13, 2009.

  One of the cars involved in the incident, a maroon Chevrolet Cavalier, required special equipment to be used by the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue to remove the left side of the car in order to extract the driver.

  “She was removed as fast as we could,” Lt. Phil Whitman said. “It took right about 20 minutes.  He later commented that the woman was “alert and conscious.”

  The Cavalier could be seen facing west in the eastbound lane missing its roof and side doors. Also, pieces of the car could be found on and around the curb on 38th Avenue N near 38th Street.

  According to Whitman, the second vehicle involved in the accident was a gold Jeep. It had apparently been towed to the owner’s home who was from the area.

  There was no information immediately available in regards to the identities of the two victims.  Also, no other information concerning the details of the accident or the condition of the drivers was available. The incident is currently under investigation.

  - 50 - 50