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On the morning of Wednesday, April 18, 2012, a blind woman suffered critical injuries while crossing the street in a crosswalk. According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers pedestrian accident took place in the 6800 block of Estero Boulevard.
This 81-year-old blind woman was struck by an automobile around 8:30 AM close to the Holiday Inn on Estero Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, FL. The police indicated that this female pedestrian was using her cane to cross the street at the time she was hit.
Police later identified this woman as Josephine Kastner. She was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers with serious injuries and was placed in critical condition. As of the latest update, Kastner was still reported to be in critical condition.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this accident, as the area where this crash occurred was in a 35 mph zone. Police have not charged Lauren Mayher, the 22-year-old driver, with any charges at this time.
This is the second pedestrian accident producing injuries in the last couple weeks to have occurred in Fort Myers Beach. Now Mayor Larry Kiker wants to improve safety on Estero Boulevard, as he has teamed up with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and fire department and has enlisted volunteers to help prevent these accidents from occurring. They are asking for pedestrians and drivers to be extra careful on the road.
The Fort Myers accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik would also like to urge pedestrians and drivers to be extra cautious on the roads, and we would like to wish Jospehine Kastner a full and fast recovery.
On April 7, 2012, a 19-year-old Fort Myers woman died in an early morning crash in Lee County, and two of her passengers were injured. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the South Fort Myers car crash took place around 3:38 AM on Riverside Center Court.
After leaving a friend’s house, Jamie Lee Despirito was driving her 2007 Ford Mustang northbound on Riverside Center Court when she attempted to turn west onto Daniels Parkway. Unfortunately, she failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection and collided with the right side of a trailer of a semi truck that was traveling east on Daniels Parkway.
Sadly, Jamie Lee Despirito died at the scene of the accident. Two of her friends, who were travelling with her, were injured. Eric Martir, 19, of Fort Myers, suffered critical injuries in the accident and was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. Jeanna Hermance, 19, of Fort Myers, suffered serious injuries and was also taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for medical care.
Both passengers were reported to be in stable condition after receiving medical treatment. Martir’s injuries included a broken rib, broken collarbone, and stitches on his ear.
Charles Porter, the driver of the truck involved in this wreck, did not suffer any injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.
After talking with the passengers, police received information from Martir, Despirito’s boyfriend, that she did not see the stop sign because it was blocked by another sign advertising a garage sale. Police are investigating the cause of this accident.
The Fort Myers car crash lawyers at Chalik & Chalik would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jamie Lee Despirito and wish the passengers a full and fast recovery.
In March, a fatal car wreck in Fort Myers claimed the life of a toddler. Police indicated that the little girl was not secured in her car seat, which resulted in her death. The driver, the toddler’s mother, was later arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection to this traffic crash death.
Monique Trinity Oneill-Daghra, 31, of 538 S.E. Sixth Place, Cape Coral, was picked up on a felony warrant and booked at the Lee County Jail. She is being held on a $15,000 bond for aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Fort Myers police indicated that they responded to a traffic accident on February 22, 2012, around 7:49 AM at the intersection of Fowler Street and Market Street. Authorities confirmed that Oneill-Daghra was driving a Cadillac when she rear-ended an SUV on Fowler Street just north of the intersection.
Eva Daghra, the 2-year-old toddler, was seated in the front passenger seat in a car seat; however, she was not fastened into the car seat, nor was the car seat anchored into place or attached to the Cadillac. Upon impact, the airbag deployed.
The 2-year-old suffered catastrophic injuries and was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Police reports indicated that the mother told a witness that her daughter cried while in the rear seat, which is why she put her up front. In Florida, it is illegal to have a child in the front seat unrestrained.
Oneill-Daghra will have a court appearance on May 7. If she is convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison. No one else suffered injuries in this accident.
The Fort Myers car wreck lawyers at Chalik & Chalik would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Eva Daghra following this tragic crash.
A 5-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Fort Lauderdale Sunday, March 18, 2012. According to authorities, the little girl was riding her tricycle at the time of the fatal accident, which occurred around 4:30 PM.
The Fort Lauderdale police said that two teenagers have been arrested and are facing charges for this fatal hit-and-run crash that took place on the 100 block of NW 67th Street.
Yanelle Lucero, the 5-year-old girl, was riding her tricycle westbound on NW 67th Street when she was hit by a GMC van that was also heading westbound. Upon impact, Erik Garcia, the 19-year-old driver of the van, exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Mario Argumedo, a 19-year-old passenger in the van, ran over to the girl, picked her up, and gave her to her mother. He then drove away in the van.
The little girl’s mom immediately put her daughter in the car. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue then transported her to Broward General Medical Center where she later died of her injuries.
Katherine Diaz, the 5-year-old’s mother, said that her daughter loved to play outdoors.
Garcia, the driver, called police and turned himself in. He was charged with failure to use due care, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, and no valid driver’s license. Argumedo, the passenger of Pompano, was charged with tampering with evidence, allowing an unlicensed driver to operate his vehicle, and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
Judge John Hurley told Argumedo in Broward court, “It’s also alleged that at some point you attempted to discard the tricycle that the young girl had been riding by taking it to another location.” He then ordered that both teens be held without bond.
The Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of little Yanelle Lucero and wish them strength to get through this difficult time.
On March 28, 2012, a fatal crash in Sebring, FL occurred that killed one woman and seriously injured another. This deadly South Florida car accident took place around 6:30 PM Wednesday night.
According to police, Peggy Sue Roaf, of Sebring, was driving her Ford Focus north on U.S. 27 in the outside lane when a GMC Envoy SUV, traveling south, crossed the median and collided into the Focus.
When the Envoy swerved out of control, jumped the median on U.S. 27, and collided into the Focus, it rode up onto its hood. The SUV crushed the Focus. Sadly, Roaf, 52, was killed.
Witnesses reported that the SUV was swerving, speeding, and weaving through traffic when it lost control. After an investigation into the crash, Nicholas Steven Fox, the 31-year-old SUV driver, of Fort Lauderdale, was reported to be under the influence at the time of the accident.
Charges are pending, but he has not been arrested as the Sebring police are still investigating this wreck. He was seriously injured in this wreck and taken to Tampa General Hospital by helicopter.
There were five passengers in the SUV, who were all taken to Highlands Regional Medical Center for medical treatment. They have all been released. Witnesses of the crash reported that two of the passengers were young teenagers.
Additionally, a semi truck was involved in this crash, as it was traveling behind the Ford Focus and had to maneuver the truck to avoid hitting the Focus as well. The semi ended up striking the rear driver’s side corner of the SUV.
The South Florida accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Peggy Sue Roaf during this tragic time in their lives.
A deadly Palm Beach Gardens motorcycle crash took place on the morning of March 16, 2012, around 11:00 AM and claimed the life of a 50-year-old Dania Beach man. Police indicated that the man in this motorcycle accident on northbound Interstate 95, between Hood and Donald Ross roads, lost control of his bike and fell off it.
The Florida Highway Patrol indicated that Yair Shatil, the motorcyclist, was initially taken by helicopter to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach for treatment for serious head injuries. However, he later died of his injuries.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Tim Frith indicated that there was a mechanical problem with the motorcycle that Shatil was riding that caused the rear brake to lock, which caused him to lose control and fall onto I-95.
Boaz Edri, a 39-year-old motorcyclist from Hollywood, was behind Shatil when the crash occurred. The collision caused Edri to strike Shatil and drop his bike to the ground as well. Edri was wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the crash and suffered serious injuries, but the injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. However, Shatil was not wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the crash.
The wreck caused the closure of I-95 so that the Trauma Hawk air ambulance could land and transport the Mr. Shatil to the hospital.
The South Florida accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Shatil, and we would like to wish Mr. Edri and complete and speedy recovery.
On the morning of March 16, 2012, a Lexus driver lost control of his car and was killed in a Fort Myers crash. Fort Myers Police Department PIO Shelly Flynn confirmed the identity of driver of the white Lexus as Bryan Steven Hettrick, 24, of Lehigh Acres.
The report indicated that the crash took place around 8:50 AM Friday when the driver was traveling northbound on Cleveland Avenue near Catherine Street. He attempted to pass another car, and witnesses told police that the driver was driving recklessly and speeding. The driver allegedly used the inside northbound lane and lost control during the process.
Hettrick swerved into the middle lane, headed into oncoming traffic, and traveled into a Nissan Sentra that was southbound on Cleveland Avenue. The Sentra was sent into a Chevy that was also heading southbound. Both the Sentra and Lexus sustained significant damage, and the Chevy suffered minor damage.
Sadly, the driver of the Lexus died immediately. The driver of the Nissan Sentra was injured and taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for medical care, and the two people traveling in the Chevy were not injured.
Fort Myers police have indicated that Mr. Hettrick was at fault for the wreck; however, they have continued their investigation into the crash.
The Fort Myers accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik are saddened to hear of this tragic loss of life and would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Hettrick. We would also like to wish the victims involved in this crash a full and fast recovery.
On Tuesday, March 2, 2012, a BMW driver survived a 20-foot fall after being in a Fort Lauderdale crash. According to police, the driver was traveling on the State Road 84 bridge when his car went airborne and landed on the entrance ramp of I-595, which is about two stories below.
According to officials, William Ciani, the 23-year-old driver, was traveling in an area that has been the site of at least three fatalities since the southbound I-95 ramp to S.R. 84 opened. The interchange features a multilevel configuration with concrete walls that divide eastbound and westbound S.R. 84 traffic onto bridges that are highly elevated over I-95.
Many drivers have stated that they feel that this is the worst exit ramp in Broward County, as there is a hard right turn with no stop. Safety authorities have indicated that they have tried to slow drivers down who are attempting to make a sharp 90-degree turn in this location.
Efforts have included installing lights on the exit ramp that are activated and will flash if drivers exceed 45 mph, but officials have even agreed that the lights never worked right. Authorities have considered installing a traffic light to slow drivers down, but they felt the westbound S.R. 84’s elevation would be too difficult for drivers to stop in time.
Ciani was taken to Broward General Medical Center and was released after only suffering skin burns from the airbag. He was fortunate to survive this type of crash, as three other men in 2008 died in the same area, and a fourth was critically injured when they plunged to the road below.
Ciani, however, was cited with failure to use due care and traveling too fast for road conditions.
The Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys at Chalik & Chalik are glad to hear that Ciani wasn’t injured severely, and we wish him a complete recovery following this Fort Lauderdale car crash.
On Saturday, February 25, 2012, two pedestrians crossing the street were victims of a Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident. According to police, both pedestrians were female and were hit by the same car as they were crossing the street.
Authorities indicated that the vehicle that struck both female pedestrians was a Volkswagen, driven by 35-year-old Joshua Stein, of Sunrise. Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Travis Mandell said that the women were crossing the 900 block of Northeast 26th Avenue when the car hit them.
Mary Nafziger, 79, and 58-year-old Janice Lynne, both of Fort Lauderdale, were the two pedestrians involved in this accident. They were struck by the front end of Stein’s car around 8:00 PM Saturday night.
Both women were seriously injured and transported to Broward Medical Center. As of Monday morning, they were both still listed in critical condition. However, one of the two women later succumbed to her injuries and died. Mary Nafziger died Monday afternoon at the hospital.
Janice Lynn remains in critical condition at Broward Medical Center.
The police are still investigating this fatal Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident, and no one has been charged in the matter at this time. Police are asking anyone who has information about this crash to call Fort Lauderdale police traffic homicide investigator Jonathan Graham at 954-828-5125.
Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys with Chalik & Chalik are deeply saddened to hear of this tragedy. We wish Janice Lynn a complete recovery, and we would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Mary Nafziger.
A driver involved in a fatal Pembroke Pines crash that occurred on June 27, 2009, was recently sentenced to jail. According to a report in the Sun Sentinel, the fatal crash took place just after midnight, but the driver wasn’t drunk, texting, or on drugs. The driver was simply going too fast.
The road was slick due to the rain, and driver Kamran Hanif, 20, of Miramar, lost control of his Toyota sedan because he was going too fast. Authorities indicated that he was traveling at 75 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Hanif pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving charges in February 2012, and he was sentenced to two years in prison followed by ten years of probation.
Sadly, there were four teenage passengers traveling in the car with Hanif the night he crashed into a light pole. Antonio Rodriguez, 16, died in the accident. David Lopez, another passenger in the car, was paralyzed from the waist down, and two other passengers in addition to Hanif received minor injuries in the crash.
The wreck that occurred in the 14000 block of Sheridan Street in Pembroke Pines that fatal night changed many lives, including Hanif’s.
Hanif, now 20, said, “I know words don’t mean a lot, but I can’t go back in time. I can’t change the past….I never meant for this to happen.” He offered a tearful apology, but Angelica Perez, Antonio Rodriguez’ mother, rejected his apology saying, “I deserve more than that. My son deserves more than that.”
Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys are saddened to hear of the loss of life and the serious injuries that the victims of this crash sustained. We wish everyone the best during this difficult time.