Complete Florida accident reports and news.
Florida - Vacation hotspot offering numerous beaches and the world's most popular theme park
Despite its official nickname being "The Sunshine State", the nation's third most populous state is actually more lightning and hurricane-prone than any other. That doesn't stop millions of people per year from flocking to the state's most important location, the most visited vacation resort on the planet, Walt Disney World. The state also offers a myriad of other theme parks, plentiful beaches, and is the biggest grower of citrus fruit in the country. With all the people coming to and already living in the large state of Florida, efficient, spanning roadways are a must. The Florida Department of Transportation provides and maintains these roadways, including the major interstate highways listed below:
- I-4, which bisects the state, connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach, connecting with I-75 in Tampa and I-95 in Daytona Beach.
- I‑10, which traverses the panhandle, connecting Pensacola, Tallahassee, Lake City, and Jacksonville, with interchanges with I-75 in Lake City and I-95 in Jacksonville.
- I‑75, which enters the state near Lake City and continues southward through Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa's eastern suburbs, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, where it crosses the "Alligator Alley" to Fort Lauderdale before turning southward and terminating in Hialeah/Miami Lakes having interchanges with I-10 in Lake City and I-4 in Tampa.
- I‑95, which enters the state near Jacksonville and continues along the Atlantic Coast through Daytona Beach, the Melbourne/Titusville, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, before terminating in Downtown Miami, with interchanges with I-10 in Jacksonville and I-4 in Daytona Beach.
Even though tropical storms are a common occurance in Florida, the fact that it is a peninsula, and that no location is too far from the coast, moderates its climate considerably. Florida consists of mostly humid-subtropical climate areas, with temperatures in the states largest city, Jacksonville, dropping below freezing on only about 16 days of the year, which is an attractive statistic for those trying to escape the cold. The most southern portions of the state are very close to having a true tropical climate, with the Florida Keys being 72 miles from the Tropic of Cancer.
Accident Data Center covers accidents in all areas of Florida
Ft. Myers-Naples accidents: The main cities of the state's most southwestern area, just north of Everglades National Park.
Gainesville accidents: Located between the major cities of Orlando and Jacksonville, home to the University of Florida, 8th largest university by enrollment in the country
Jacksonville accidents: The largest city in the state, and the largest city by area in the lower-48 states. Both I-10 and I-95 pass through the area, as well as I-295, an auxiliary route of I-95 that encircles the city.
Miami-Fort Lauderdale accidents: The major southeastern coastal cities of the state. Miami is a center for television production, and is the backdrop to many reality TV shows.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne accidents: Orlando, located near the center of Florida, is home to the Walt Disney World resort theme park. Daytona Beach and Melbourne are located on the coast just east of Orlando.
Panama City accidents: On the coast of the northwestern panhandle; the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola.
Tallahassee: The state capital, near the border with Georgia. Also includes accidents from the area of nearby Thomasville, GA.
Tampa-St. Petersburg accidents: The second largest metropolitan statistical area in the state, located north of Ft. Myers along the west coast, on the shores of Tampa Bay.
West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce accidents: Located just north of Fort Lauderdale along the east coast. Cut through by I-95.
Links to Florida transportation and safety organizations
Florida Bicycle Association is a non-profit with a mission to to be a state where bicycling is safe, respected and encouraged as a means of transportation and recreation. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is a government agency which focuses on ensuring safety on highways and providing quality service to motorists across the state. Florida Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities provides information on resources for these groups.
Steps to take after being affected by a serious Florida accident
Whether it's you, a friend, or a family member that has been injured or killed in an auto accident in Florida, the victim and their relatives could end up facing significant medical bills, lost income, and other costs. It is important to get legal assistance to help the accident victim recover, or when the accident is fatal, to help the family members get fully compensated for their losses. Learn more about how a Florida personal injury attorney will help injured victims and families.
Accident reports by area
Legal and Other Resources and Information
Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar
CTLA-Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association
Florida Justice Association
FSE College of Law
The Florida Bar Association
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Most recent accident reports
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Jacksonville, FL
A fatal accident was reported at Buccaneer Trail and Marian Drive just after 6:30 a.m. Friday. Few details are available; check back for updates.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
Police officers found a teenager running away from the scene after a stolen car crashed early Friday morning, after damaging several businesses on East Colonial Drive, striking two light poles and causing the vehicle to split in half.
Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
Tallahassee, FL-Thomasville, GA
Elizabeth Will was driving on County Road 252 when she lost control of her vehicle and crashed into an oncoming vehicle driven by William Potts. The impact caused both vehicles to overturn. Potts was killed in the crash, and Will was taken to a hospital via helicopter in critical condition.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
The girl was riding in an SUV on Osceola Parkway when a car made an improper lane change and struck the vehicle, causing it to overturn. She wa airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in stable condition. No other information was released.
Ft. Myers-Naples, FL
James Streeter was driving east on Golden Gate Parkway when he got a call on his laptop, and glanced at the laptop screen to clear the call. When he looked up traffic had stopped and he slammed on his brakes. He swerved off the road and struck a street light, knocking the pole over.
Jacksonville, FL
After a motorcycle collided with a mini-van on Palmer Street, a passenger on the motorcycle was ejected into the path of a commercial truck. The passenger was taken to UF Health Jacksonville in serious condition.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
At around 11:45 a.m. on Apopka Vineland Road and Hackney Prairie Road two vehicles collided, resulting in the deaths of Lidiya Varvak of Orlando and Joel Shoaf of Clermont. The roadway was blocked while police investigated the scene.
Tallahassee, FL-Thomasville, GA
An accident occured on North Monroe Street and Clara Kee Boulevard at around 1:17 p.m., closing the northbound lanes of North Monroe Street. This incident is still under investigation; check back for updates!
Jacksonville, FL
Mobile, AL-Pensacola, FL
Justin B. Taylor, 15, was northbound on Untreiner Avenue around 8:35 a.m. when his 1997 Dodge Dakota drifted onto the shoulder of the road and collided with a utility pole. The force of the impact caused the vehicle to fllip over, and Taylor was ejected.
Panama City, FL
16-year-old Cherylynn Monno was driving south on U.S. 231 on Sunday evening when she began to hydroplane on the wet roadway, sending her 2006 Hyundai onto the median and into the northbound lanes, where it struck a northbound Dodge pickup.