Several Central Florida media outlets are reporting the tragic death of a Georgia vacationer following a weekend automobile versus pedestrian accident in Daytona Beach Shores. According to reports, Diane and Stephen King were crossing A1A (the main beach tourist street in Daytona Beach and Daytona Beach Shores), when they were hit by a truck being driven by Raymond Vogus.
Mr. Vogus apparently lives in Daytona Beach Shores, and was making a left turn from a stop sign on a side street on to South A1A at the time of the accident. The crash occurred during lunch time, and the Georgia couple were apparently heading to or from a restaurant. In addition to Ms. King’s tragic death, Mr. King also suffered injuries in the crash.
As a lawyer who handles automobile versus pedestrian accidents, my heart goes out to the entire King family. As seems obligatory in these kinds of stories, the local media has pointed out that the Kings were not in a crosswalk at the time of the incident. However, I’m not so sure that that matters much.
The stretch of A1A where this accident occurs is covered with hotels, vacation resorts, restaurants, and shops. This is clearly a tourist area. The types of businesses in this area obviously generate a lot of foot traffic. There are very few traffic lights in this area, and therefore very few cross walks. Motorists (and particularly those who live in an area like this) should certainly be vigilant for pedestrians crossing the road — and particularly near mealtimes in an area with a lot of restaurants. Everyone in Florida who drives in a tourist-heavy area, needs to pay extra attention to pedestrians.
If you have any questions regarding a Florida tourist injury, car accident, or wrongful death claim, call Winter Park personal injury attorneys Kim Cullen and Robert Hemphill at 407-644-4444. We handle cases throughout Florida.
