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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
Ft. Myers-Naples, FL -
440
Gainesville, FL -
103
Jacksonville, FL -
528
Panama City, FL -
210
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL -
1,523
Legal and Other Resources and Information
Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar
The Trial Lawyers Section is proud to have 7,000 members who devote a substantial portion of their practice to trial work. Section members consist of plaintiffs, defense and commercial litigators. The Section’s Executive Council is evenly divided among the three groups. The Section is devoted to preserving access to courts and judicial independence, as well as providing timely continuing educational opportunities for its members. The Section also provides a forum for discussion and addresses matters which are of interest or impact trial practice in Florida, especially those that come through the Florida Legislature.
CTLA-Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association
The Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association (CFTLA) is a non-profit organization of lawyers dedicated to strengthen and uphold Florida’s civil justice system. Exclusively representing individuals, we are dedicated to upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States and the State of Florida. We seek to advance the science of jurisprudence, excellence in advocacy and the administration of justice for the public good.
Florida Justice Association
The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida's civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida's citizens and consumers. We passionately believe that all Floridians benefit when deserving individuals have a fair chance to seek justice in our state's courts and that Florida's consumers are made safer when large corporations and industries are held to a high ethical standard and accept fair responsibility for their actions.
FSE College of Law
According to U.S. News & World Report and other national outlets, we also are #1 among all Florida law schools in terms of 9-month job placement rate. Preparing graduates to succeed in their careers is the most important thing we do. We also are known for our world class faculty, our successful and friendly student body, and our location in Tallahassee that gives students a wide variety of opportunities to gain legal experience. Our students like their experiences at our law school and the careers we help them launch.
The Florida Bar Association
A guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, The Florida Bar is the statewide professional organization of lawyers.
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa Bay may test futuristic "smart road" system
In the coming months, downtown Tampa may be host to testing a system of "smart roads." Smart roads have technology to speak to cars using "connected vehicle technology," which can let a vehicle know that a car up ahead is losing control, or warn a driver about a pedestrian crossing the street or an oncoming wrong-way driver. If the program is approved, smart roads capable of turning lights red and green to dynamically control traffic flow will be rolled out in the Channel District.
West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL
Lake Worth drivers concerned about 6th Avenue south Tri-Rail crossing
Residents of Lake Worth are raising concerns over the Tri-Rail crossing at 6th Avenue. WPTV Palm Beach reports that an additional signal delay is causing motorists to take additional risks, despite it being a safety procedure from the rail company itself. The enhanced safety signaling is blamed for causing backups at rush hour, but Tri-Rail has no plans of making a change. Learn more about train accidents here.
Most recent accident reports
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Thu, 04/03/2014Four people were hurt in a crash on the Westside on Friday morning, according to Jacksonville Fire-Rescue.
Two SUVs were involved in the crash at the intersection of Lenox Avenue and Ramona Boulevard about 11:30 a.m.
Tallahassee, FL-Thomasville, GA
Accident Date:
Thu, 04/03/2014Two drivers died when a 91-year-old man driving the wrong way on Interstate 75 near the Florida-Georgia border late Friday night stuck an SUV and a Greyhound bus.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Thu, 04/03/2014The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a serious crash on State Road 16 in the area of Lewis Speedway. A spokesman with FHP said two SUVs struck each other head-on around 10 p.m.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Thu, 04/03/2014A bicyclist is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle Friday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the man was riding north in the bike on U.S. 1 south of State Road 312 lane when a red Dodge pickup truck turned onto the side street.
Ft. Myers-Naples, FL
Accident Date:
Wed, 04/02/2014A young mother of two is dead and two others were seriously injured after a two-vehicle accident occurred on April 3.
At around 12:13 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) responded to an accident at the intersection of U.S. 27 and County Road 720.
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
Accident Date:
Wed, 04/02/2014A Miami woman was fatally injured in front of her home Thursday when a minivan hit her car as she pulled out of the driveway.
Miami police said Elizabeth Cordona, 22, was leaving the driveway of her home at 3810 NW 13th St. at 1 p.m. when an eastbound Toyota minivan hit her vehicle.
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Accident Date:
Wed, 04/02/2014An 84-year-old woman almost hit a customer when she crashed her car through the front door of a Winter Haven CVS on Wednesday afternoon.
Miraculously, the customer had stepped back and out of the path of the car just moments before it crashed into the store.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
Accident Date:
Wed, 04/02/2014A busy downtown street reopened early Thursday after an accident involving a car and a train blocked the roadway for nearly two hours.
The accident happened after 3 a.m. near the railroad crossing at Washington Street, which is located between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue.
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Accident Date:
Wed, 04/02/2014Two people were airlifted to hospitals Thursday afternoon after a school bus and a car collided on State Road 56 at Interstate 75 in Pasco County.
West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL
Accident Date:
Tue, 04/01/2014A Palm Tran bus, tractor-trailer and car were involved in a wreck Wednesday morning in West Palm Beach, according to police.
The wreck occurred around 10 a.m. at southbound N. Australian Avenue and 36th Street.
There are reports of minor injuries to seven people.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Tue, 04/01/2014The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a bus crash on the Westside, after a school bus rear-ended an SUV Wednesday morning.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Tue, 04/01/2014The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for a vehicle that hit a school bus on the Westside on Wednesday morning, then drove away.
At 6:40 a.m. a school bus was rear-ended by an unknown Jeep Wrangler, according to FHP. The vehicle then fled the scene after the crash.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Sun, 03/30/2014When a man accidentally drove his car into a retention pond by the Walmart on Monday afternoon, two men jumped into the water and swam to the sinking vehicle.
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL
Accident Date:
Sat, 03/29/2014Florida Highway Patrol troopers today made an arrest in a fatal hit and run crash that occurred Sunday morning along Orange Blossom Trail in Kissimmee.
Jacksonville, FL
Accident Date:
Sat, 03/29/2014Kaitlyn Marie Winstel, 21, died following a fatal crash Sunday night, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Winstel was driving northbound in the 4200 block of Kernan Blvd. near Blue Stream Drive when she ran off the road, hit a curb and crashed into a concrete light pole.