Unbelted driver critical after being ejected from vehicle

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, April 28, 2011.

A 30-year-old driver from Apalachicola was in critical condition early Wednesday after crashing his vehicle about a mile east of the city. He was taken to Bay Medical Center for treatment following the car accident.

According to the Panama City News Herald, the driver – who was not wearing a seatbelt – was driving a 2003 Honda CRV west on U.S. 98. The Florida Highway Patrol indicates the man veered off the road and then over-corrected. He then went into the eastbound lane, rotated clockwise and then overturned several times, causing him to be ejected from the vehicle.

The driver apparently came to rest on the west side of his vehicle on the road’s north shoulder. He had no passengers riding with him at the time, and his Honda CRV was the only vehicle involved in the accident.

The Florida Highway Patrol was reportedly assisted by other responders at the accident scene, including the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and the Apalachicola Police Department.

It is not known if alcohol was a factor in the crash, but toxicology tests are pending.

It may seem so simple, but fastening your seat belt can save your life. It is very likely that if this man had been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, his injuries would be less severe.

It’s unknown whether the driver was drinking. But anyone who drinks, drives and then fails to wear a seatbelt is putting him or herself – and others – in a potentially perilous situation. Please drive responsibly.

Source: Panama City News Herald, “Apalachicola man critical after early morning wreck,” Tony Simmons, 27 April 2011