One Teen Dead in Car Accident
One teenager has died and two others were injured in after a car accident that happened in West Palm Beach earlier this month. The West Palm Beach Police Department said that shortly after midnight a vehicle with three occupants was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on North Flagler Drive heading towards 8th Street. Without warning, the car crossed three lanes of traffic, left the roadway, and struck three utility poles. The car then reentered the roadway and rotated several times before coming to a stop.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Alvaro Fernandez, 19, from West Palm Beach. He was ejected from the car during the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two occupants of the vehicle were teenagers, ages 17 and 19 years old, whose names have been not been released. They were sent to St. Mary’s Medical Center and treated for minor injuries before being released. Police have stated that the investigation remains open and so far no charges have been filed.
Florida Car Accidents
In 2013, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported a total of 316,943 car accidents on the roads in the state. Of those crashes, 36,179 accidents involved a teen driver. In addition, the total number of people killed in auto accidents in Florida that year was 2,402 people. Of those, a total of 57 teen drivers died on the roads that year in Florida and another 46 teen passengers perished, as well.
Teen Driving and Accidents
Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2011, about 2,650 teens in the United States between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed and nearly 292,000 teenagers were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in traffic crashes. That equates to seven teen deaths per day as a result of auto accidents.
Teen drivers and drivers up to age 24 only represent 14 percent of the total U.S. population that drives but accounts for 30 percent ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28 percent ($7 billion) of the total costs of injuries among females.
The risk for vehicle crashes is higher for teens ages 16 to 19 years old than any other age group. Teenagers most at risk for being involved in a car accident include male drivers, teens driving with teen passengers, and newly licensed teens.
Contact a Florida Car Accident Attorney
Being involved in a car accident can be a traumatic experience, and having a teenage driver involved can complicate the situation. If you or someone that you know has been injured or killed in a car accident in the West Palm Beach area, let the experienced attorneys at Gary Roberts & Associates help. Call the office or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
