3 dead in head-on crash of truck, car

ORANGE COUNTY
Three men died early Friday when a 1989 Chevrolet pickup truck crashed head-on into a 2001 Toyota Corolla on Orange Blossom Trail in Apopka. The man driving the wrong-way truck just before 1 a.m. was dead at the scene near Sprint Boulevard. As of Friday night the Florida Highway Patrol had not been able to identify him. The driver of the Toyota, Charles Richard Diaz III, 21, and his passenger, Daniel Francis Morgan, 21, both of
Apopka, also died at the scene.

- Anika Myers Palm

Three injured in head-on crash

NEWS BRIEFS
Three injured in head-on crash
Three people remained in critical condition late Friday following a head-on car crash Thursday at mile marker 64.5 of U.S. 1, on the Long Key Bridge. Robb Cagle, 27, and Sarah Cagle, 29, both of
Goodletsville, Tenn., and Jessi Thornton, 19, of West Palm Beach were all flown to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami following the 10 a.m. crash. The Florida Highway Patrol says Robb Cagle, driving a 2011 Nissan with Sarah as a passenger, caused the crash.
"Witnesses stated [Cagle 's car] was passing numerous vehicles as it was traveling south in the
northbound lane," Trooper David Riso wrote in a report.
Thornton, in the northbound lane, "attempted · to avoid the collision by steering [his 2011 Kia] to the right side of the bridge and almost up against the concrete wall."
But the two cars' left fronts collided, with the impact rotating both and forcing them into the
southbound lane, where they came to a rest. Combined damage to the two autos is $27,000,
Riso wrote.

Monroe County
May 21, 2011

Softball coach gets four years in prison in fatal wreck

Man who was intoxicated says he’s ‘truly sorry’
BY TOM BRENNAN
The Tampa Tribune

Tampa- The coach had belted down a half-dozen beers and a couple of tequila shots at the holiday dessert social for his girls softball team. Team parents became so concerned they decided to snatch his keys, but Paul Michael Parks had sneaked out behind the wheel of his GMC pickup. About a mile away, Parks rammed head-on into a Jeep driven by Karen Weaver, who was heading home from a yuletide party on Big Bend Road. Parks never noticed the road had gone from four lanes to two and that he was driving into oncoming traffic. Weaver, 47, of Riverview, was killed. Parks, 37, pleaded guilty Thursday to driving under the influence-manslaughter in the wreck, which happened about 11:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 2009. Tests showed his blood alcohol content was 0.218, deputies said. Florida law presumes intoxication at 0.08. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Manuel A. Lopez sentenced Parks to four years in prison followed by 10 years of probation. It was the minimum punishment he could impose. Parks’ guilty plea came without any deal with prosecutors. Although sentencing guidelines called for at least 10 years in prison, Lopez said he was impressed by the parade of witnesses who spoke on Parks’ behalf, including his wife, friends, ministers and former co-workers and boss. “It was out of character for him,” the judge said. “He has shown tremendous remorse. I think he learned a great deal from this.” Parks, who had been free on $25,000 bail since turning himself in to authorities in January 2010, also spoke before being sentenced. “I am truly sorry for what happened,” he said. “I awake every day with a hole in my soul.” Parks denied having a drinking problem, although he said he swore off alcohol after the crash and has attended Alcoholic Anonymous meetings twice weekly. He said the meetings made him feel better because other people were worse off, not having the support he has received. None of Weaver’s family spoke at the sentencing. Prosecutors said Weaver’s brother, Charles Grant, was caring for his ill mother. A victim’s advocate read a letter from Grant, who asked Lopez not to give Parks any breaks. “He snuck out of that party,” Grant wrote, “he knew what he was doing.”
tbrennan@tampatrib.com
(813) 259-7698

Auburndale Man Killed in Crashon State Road 60

A 26-year-old Auburndale
man died in a head-on
crash on State Road 60
east of Lake Wales late
Saturday, the 'Polk County
Sheriff's Office said.
Phillip Craig Durden, of
209 Ariana Ave_, the driver
of a 2002 Ford F-150 that
was pulling a ·trailer, was
killed, deputies reported.
About 10:30 p.m, Durden
was traveling east in the
westbound lanes of
S.R. 60 west of Capps Road,
sheriff's spokeswoman
Donna Wood said. His
truck collided with a 1997
International tractor-trailer
filled with citrus molasses
that was traveling west on
the highway.
The tractor-trailer
crossed the median and
blocked eastbound lanes.
Durden's truck caught fire,
reports said. Durden died
at the scene. It wasn't immediately
known whether
he was wearing a seat belt,
Wood said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer,
Jay Michael Batson,
41, of Tindel Camp Road in
Lake Wales, who was wearing
a seat belt, was treated
at Lake Wales Medical
Center and was released.
The accident closed
S.R. 60 until5 a.m Sunday,
officials said.
Lakeland Ledger
Polk County
April 18, 2011

Three Oaks Middle teacher injured in Alico Road crash

LEE COUNTY — A Lee County teacher was severely injured Monday morning in an early morning crash near the intersection of Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway. Lee County School District spokesman Joe Donzelli said the driver injured in one of the vehicles was William “Skip” Perry, band director at Three Oaks Middle School. No additional information about Perry’s condition was available. Donzelli said the district will have grief counselors on available to students and teachers Tuesday. “All those preparations for people to remain in standby were made tonight,” he said. According to Florida Highway Patrol, Perry was driving a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse east on Alico Road, while fellow Fort Myers resident Michael Dewayne Bertsch was driving a 2006 Peterbuilt semi-truck west on Alico Road. FHP reports said that at around 8:44 a.m. Perry’s Eclipse crossed the center line and hit the left front side of the truck. After the impact, FHP reports said that the Eclipse rotated counter clockwise and came to a final rest on the east bound lane facing south. The truck continued eastbound and came to a final rest facing west. Perry was airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital in critical condition. The accident shut down Alico Road at Ben Hill Griffin Parkway in Lee County for several hours, and a HAZMAT crew had to clean diesel fuel from the accident off the road before it could be reopened. FHP reports said charges are pending in the accident. for more information please visit: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/apr/11/three-oaks-middle-william-skip-perry-alico-crash/

Woman airlifted after head-on collision

SEBRING -- A woman was airlifted to Tampa Saturday morning after a head-on collision on Memorial Drive. The crash occurred at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Sunset Drive just before 11 a.m.. The two vehicles involved, a Saturn and a Rent-A-Center van, were headed in opposite directions on Memorial. "The van was headed northbound on Sunset and she was headed southbound," Highlands County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Barry Jones said. The West Sebring Volunteer Fire Department, several deputies, along with several on-lookers were on the scene. None of the on-lookers witnessed the accident. "They hit head-on; it looks like she crossed over into the other lane," said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper John Paikai. Jones echoed Paikai's observations, agreeing that the female driver of the Saturn had crossed into the northbound lane, though there was no concrete answer why she had. "He (driver of the van) is OK I think, just a scratch on the head and ear," Paikai said, but the driver of the Saturn wasn't so lucky. "She's being transported to Tampa for head trauma." The driver of the van was treated on site and was not transported to the hospital. The unidentified female driver was pulled from her vehicle by a handful of Highlands County EMT's and volunteer firefighters. The woman repeatedly told Paikai that she had been wearing her seatbelt, however Paikai and Jones are not completely sure the driver had been strapped in. "You can tell when a seatbelt was worn. There are indentations across the chest and the lap and I didn't see any," Jones said. Traffic along Memorial came to a short standstill as the accident site was cleaned up and the drivers were treated and transported. The accident is under investigation. for more information please visit: http://www.newssun.com/040311-sg-Memorial-Crash

Tavares man dies after hitting trash truck

YALAHA—A 28-year-old Tavares man was killed in a head-on crash with a garbage truck this week on County Road 48, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Troopers said Jamar Chambliss was eastbound his 2004 four-door Buick about 2 p.m. Tuesday For an unknown reason, troopers said, the Buick moved into the westbound lane of the two-lane roadway, striking a Mack garbage truck traveling in the opposite direction head-on near Stone Mountain Road. Troopers said Chambliss was not wearing a seat belt. A passenger, Montea Ellis. 32, of Grand Island, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with serious injuries, troopers said. The garbage-truck driver. 50-year-old Millard Rucker of Ocala, was taken to Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares with minor injuries. Orlando Sentinel Orange County March 26, 2011

"Woman killed in wreck during commute"

A 27-year-old Daytona Beach woman killed in a head-on crash in Marion County last week had just moved to the area six weeks ago, family friend Ron Sayyah said Monday.
Elizabeth Rose Hart was pronounced dead at the scene on Wednesday after the Dodge Caliber she was driving collided head-on with a pickup driven by Michael David Delp, 49, of Gainesville.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators determined Delp had crossed the double yellow lines on State Road 40 in the area of Northeast 231st Street.
A news item on page 3C of Friday's News-Journal incorrectly reported that Hart had crossed the double-yellow lines.
"Her mom and sister had been begging her to move here," said Sayyah, who is engaged to Hart's sister, Gillian Hart. "The timing just couldn't be worse."
Gillian Hart said her sister was outgoing and personable.
"She loved her work as an occupational therapist," Gillian Hart said. "She really enjoyed working with the elderly."
Though she lived in Daytona Beach, Elizabeth Hart, who went by "Liz" to friends and family, took a job at the Parkland Nursing Center in Gainesville to move to the area.
"She was on her way home from work when this happened," Gillian Hart said.
Delp was taken to Shands Hospital in Gainesville in serious condition. Information about his condition was not available Monday.
"Her (Elizabeth Hart's) family is from Rhode Island," Sayyah said. "Gill's lived here about three years and her mother about 10. They've been trying to get here for a long time.
"Everybody was so happy that we could all be together. She was going to help (Gillian) plan the wedding."


for more information please visit: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/03/22/woman-killed-in-wreck-during-commute.html

A Bronson woman who was apparently going the wrong way was seriously injured and an Ocala motorcyclist was killed

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened south of Ocala at 12:10 a.m. on U.S. 27/441 north of Southeast 92nd Place Road.

In a crash report prepared by FHP Corporal W. W. Dill, the woman who had been driving a 1998 Suzuki Sidekick was identified as Kimberly Sasser, 42, of Bronson. She was taken to Shands at the University of Florida in serious condition. Her only passenger was identified as Breanna Chitty, 6, also of Bronson, who suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.

The motorcyclist was identified by FHP as Charles Linzmeyer, 48, of Ocala who had been driving a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Linzmeye was pronounced dead at the scene.

FHP crash investigator Corporal B. R. Detweiler determined Sasser had been driving south in a northbound lane of U. S. 27/441 while Linzmeyer was headed north in the same northbound lane. When the two vehicles crashed head-on, Linzmeyer was ejected from the motorcycle and Sasser's Suzuki caught fire.

The troopers determined that Linzmeyer had not been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but did not know whether Sasser and Chitty had been wearing seat belts.

Charges in the crash are pending the result of blood alcohol testing on the drivers and further investigation.

For more information please visit: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090811/ARTICLES/908119979/1002?Title=Ocala-motorcyclist-killed-in-crash-in-Marion-County-crash