A Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy narrowly escaped serious injury on Monday during a traffic stop on I-75 in the southbound lane.  Sgt. Scott Wellinger of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department had stopped a vehicle traveling southbound on I-75 when the truck driver, Jose Serrano clipped the rear end of the patrol car.  The sergeant was sitting in his 2006 Chevrolet Impali in the emergency lane with the emergency lights and strobes activated when a tractor-trailer failed to slow down and move over and drifted off the road. The truck's rear wheels clipped Wellinger's slightly ajar driver's door. The door was crumpled and peeled back into the front wheel well.  Serrano claimed he could not move over due to traffic.  However, an investigation found that he was travelling 60 mph at the time and failed to slow down which is required by law if the vehicle is not able to move away from the patrol car.  Fortunately, the officer was not seriously injured. 

The Move Over law was enacted in Florida in 2002 to prevent such accidents and ensure the safety of law enforcement officers who correctly believe they are in grave danger during such traffic stops.  The media regularly reports officers being injured in the Tampa Bay area during such traffic stops.  There is no doubt that some roadways in the Tampa Bay area such as US 19 in PInellas County are particularly hazardous.  That's no excuse for motorists to ignore the move over law.

With the high price of gasoline and a declining housing and job market many residents of Pinellas County are contemplating alternative methods of traveling to their work destinations.  Some are considering using the bicycle to get back and forth from work.  This may work for some if they have a good bike, proper safety equipment such as bike reflectors, and a helmet.  Yet, if this is the chosen method of transportation, a proper understanding of the road and the traffic laws is crucial to remaining safe.  Some roads in Pinellas County are just too congested for bike travel.  For instance, US 19 is far too congested and poorly constructed for bike traffic.  That holds true if you're in Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, or St. Petersburg.  Gandy Boulevard in south Pinellas County may work in some areas but is also dangerous and not really designed to accomodate bike traffic.  The Pinellas Trail is ideal but doesn't really provide easy access to many job sites.  For instance, if one wanted to bike from Seminole or Largo to St. Petersburg, the trail could be used depending on the location of the job site in St. Petersburg.  If the job is in the Tyrone area, easy access is not really there.

Another alternative is the mass transit or bus system.  However that also has its drawbacks since it's time consuming and doesn't cover all the areas of northern and southern Pinellas County. 

It's tough to make alternative transportation plans but it can be done with adequate planning of the route, safety measures, and time.

A Pinellas Park police officer is currently in Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg and is scheduled to have surgery to repair his broken leg.  Officer Scott Martin of the Pinellas Park Police Department was directing traffic at 6:00am because of a malfunctioning traffic light in the northbound lanes of US 19 and Gandy Blvd.  The officer was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the accident but the driver of the van who hit him, Sengthong Liamsavy, told officers at the scene that he never saw the police officer.  According to the driver, it was dark at the time and he didn't see the officer in spite of the reflective vest.

No charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.

Juan Aecca's Buick was traveling westbound on Waters Avenue in Tampa when it ran a red light at the intersection of Waters and Dale Mabry in Tampa this morning.  As a result, Richard W. Buck was killed.  Aecca has been charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI property damage, driving without a license and violation of a traffic control device.  Aecca is being held at the Orient Road jail in Tampa.

A traffic fatality at the intersection of Gandy Blvd. and Frontage Road shut busy Gandy Blvd. down for hours late Friday afternoon while police and firefighters tried to extricate the drivers and pasengers of the vehicles involved.  Two others involved in the crash were taken to Bayfront Medical Center.  The accident occurred at 3pm when one of the vehicles t-boned the other vehicle.  The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.  Factors such as speed, red light infractions, or alcohol are still not known at this time.  The person killed in the accident was in the passenger seat and took the full brunt of the collision.  It is not known if the t-boned vehicle had a passenger side airbag.

In what's becoming an all too frequent occurrence, a driver on a cell phone gets into a car accident with another vehicle.  This time, the accident occurred near the busy intersection of Ulmerton and Starkey Roads in Largo.  The driver of the SUV was talking on a cell phone when she ran into the back of the PSTA bus that had stopped to pick up and drop off bus passengers.  The driver of the SUV was transported by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center.

Another accident occurs because one of the drivers is distracted by using a cell phone.  Cell phones can be a tremendous convenience but they turn into lethal weapons when used by a driver of a motor vehicle.  We all have to be more careful and refrain from using cell phones when driving.  This was a serious accident that may cause severe and permanent injuries to the driver of the SUV.  What the cell phone call that important? 

A relative of one of my office staff was recently involved in a car accident on 113th St. and Ulmerton Road in Largo.  Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.  However, the relative made some mistakes in how she handled the post crash.  She allowed the other driver to bully her into saying the accident was her fault.  (If you're in an auto accident, don't say anything about who's at fault.  Exchange insurance information and call the police.  You should also notify your insurance company.)  The other mistake she made was allowing the driver of the other vehicle to leave the scene without getting her insurance information.  Now, she'll have to deal with the insurance company without the benefit of crucial information concerning the other driver. 

The aftermath of a car accident, even a minor one, is traumatic and it's easy to forget the rule of how to handle such situations.  I always advise my clients to have a checklist written down and kept in the glove compartment of their vehicle so that in case of an accident, you don't have to rely on your memory of what to do.

While many people in the Tampa Bay area are choosing to stay close to home due to the crazy gas prices, some will head out on the roads or the waters to enjoy their holiday.  Unfortunately, some will add alcohol into the mix.  If you're going to drink during the holiday get a designated driver, call a cab or simply stay where you are.  This no drinking and driving rule also applies to boaters.  Too many boating accidents and deaths are related to the consumption of alcohol.  So, let's enjoy our nation's birthday and be safe out there.

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