Last week in Orlando, a wrong-way collision in the area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom sent 11 people to area hospitals.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported than a 36-year-old woman driving a 2004 Isuzu SUV was headed the wrong way on Sherberth Road just south of Disney World by Osceola Parkway on Saturday, May 14, at approximately 6 p.m.
She crashed into a Freightliner bus carrying 16 passengers, eight of whom were injured in the accident. The company that owns the bus is Super Transportation of Florida LLC. The head-on collision caused both the bus and the SUV to catch fire. Witness video shows a column of black smoke rising up from the wreckage.
Additionally, the SUV driver and her passengers, a child and an adult male, were also hurt in the crash and hospitalized.
According to authorities, there are pending charges against the SUV driver. While it is unknown why the woman was driving the wrong way, an official with the FHP told a media outlet that she was “clearly… at fault.”
Egregious negligent acts by drivers can jeopardize the lives and safety of all who share the roads with them. Even when there are no fatalities, the injuries from wrong-way collisions can be both catastrophic and life-threatening. Victims can be left with a mountain of medical bills while they struggle with adjusting to living with disabilities they suffered in the accident.
In cases such as this one, there are options available for those with injuries and other damages. Whether a driver faces criminal prosecution or not, civil justice can be pursued through the Florida courts.
Source: Daily Mail, “Eleven injured in fiery crash near Florida’s Disney World after SUV driver travels in wrong direction and strikes bus head-on,” Anton Nillson, May 15, 2016