A tragic accident was recently reported in Volusia County that involved a 23-year-old man and an Amazon semi-truck. Click Orlando says that during the early morning hours of June 18th, a 23-year-old was driving his 2000 Honda sedan on I-95 when he discovered he had a hole in his tire. The male driver came across a serviceman who was assisting a FedEx truck and asked if he could help him with his tire issue. The serviceman said that he would try to assist him once he had finished with the FedEx driver.
The 23-year-old told the serviceman that he would meet him off the nearest exit, which was Exit 244 to State Road 442. Unfortunately, as the Honda driver headed to the next exit with his hazard lights on, the news source says his vehicle stopped in the right lane on the interstate. An Amazon semi-truck came up behind the Honda shortly after and struck the vehicle. News Daytona Beach says that the driver of the semi did try to avoid the collision by swerving out of the way but was unable to turn in time to avoid an accident. Sadly, the 23-year-old male from Jacksonville died at the accident scene.
As for the truck driver, he was said to have only suffered minor injuries. Florida Highway Patrol did report that as a result of the collision, nearly 200 gallons of diesel spilled onto the roadway.
What should a driver do if they get a flat tire on the highway?
Getting a flat tire can be scary, especially if you are driving on the highway where traffic is permitted to travel at a high rate of speed. While it is only natural to get a bit shaken up after you discover your tire has gone flat, it is important that you remain calm and consider what your next steps should be to help prevent an accident from happening. If you aren’t sure how to handle a flat tire on the highway, read on below.
The first and most important thing a driver should do once they realize their tire has gone flat is to pull their vehicle off of the road immediately. The farther away from the road you can get, the better. Once you are out of the way of traffic, you will need to decide whether you should attempt to fix the flat yourself or call someone to come and help you. While Carfax does not recommend that you attempt to fix the tire yourself, those who decide to do it themselves should only attempt to change or repair the tire if they are confident in their abilities.
If you don’t feel certain that you can change the flat tire, you can contact someone for help. This might include:
- Roadside assistance. If your vehicle’s manufacturer or insurance company provides you with roadside assistance, you can contact the company responsible for handling the issue. In most cases, if your insurance policy offers this feature, you can contact the carrier who will then help you from there.
- AAA. If you are an AAA member, you can contact the agency for help.
- Police. If you are not an AAA member and don’t have roadside assistance coverage, you should call 911. If you are leery of accepting help from a stranger and have no one to assist you with your flat tire, call 911. An officer should be dispatched to the area and may be able to provide you with some guidance as to what you should next.
- Tow truck company. Another option you have is to contact a tow truck company so that your vehicle can either be towed to your home or a mechanic.
- Friend or family member. A friend or family member may be able to either assist you with changing your flat tire or giving you a ride home so that you are not left stranded on the highway.
Regardless of what option you choose when you get a flat tire on the highway, it is important to remember that safety comes first. This means you will need to act quickly as the longer you wait on the side of the road, the more your chances of engaging in an accident with a distracted or reckless driver increase.
In the event you were recently involved in an accident on a highway in Daytona Beach, FL, you are encouraged to contact Pappas and Russell, P.A. to learn more about your legal rights. If another driver was responsible for causing the accident, the lawyers at our firm may be able to help you recover compensation for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
Pappas and Russell, P.A. is located at:
213 Silver Beach Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Phone: 386-254-2941
Website: www.pappasrussell.com
