According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“A teenager who lost control of his car and smashed into a tree has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of his friend, police said Wednesday.

Michael Fernandez, now 18, and Ryan Smith were on their way to pick up their caps and gowns at Flanagan High School on May 29, 2009, when Fernandez lost control of his 2006 Scion and struck a tree in the median on the 100 block of Northwest 136th Avenue.

Smith, a respected member of the Flanagan Falcons high school baseball team, died from his injuries.

Police at the time said speed appeared to be a factor in the accident. According to court records, Fernandez was driving with a suspended license at the time, though he may not have been aware of the suspension.”

While officials have said little publicly about why charges were filed, criminal cases are generally not initiated unless there is strong evidence that urges prosecutors to move forward.  The family of the deceased may also have legal rights and options.

If you or someone you love has been harmed in an auto accident, you need the help of Florida personal injury attorneys who understand what it takes to gather the evidence necessary to successfully fight for the rights of those wronged.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“A woman was injured and a young boy died Friday night in a four-car pile-up, police said Saturday.

The child’s name was not released. He died at Memorial Regional Hospital.

The accident, which remains under investigation, occurred near 11 p.m. at University Drive and Pembroke Road.

According to authorities, Jorge Pascual, 36, of Miami Gardens, was driving a 1999 Ford Explorer when he “failed to slow and/or stop” and rear ended a 2002 Kia driven by Gary Finn, 49, of Aventura.

A front-seat passenger in the Kia, Patricia Berrio, 53, of Miami, was also taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where she was listed in serious condition.”

Two other vehicles were also hit in the crash, and investigators have yet to rule whether alcohol was a factor in the incident.  While the finding that alcohol was a factor would certainly affect the situation, the probability remains that the driver of the Ford Explorer was liable for hitting another vehicle from behind.

If you have lost someone you love due to driving negligence, you need the help of a Florida personal injury attorney who can handle the legalities of the situation more than capably while you concentrate on your family.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“An unknown white vehicle is believed to have triggered a multivehicle crash that killed a woman and injured three other people Friday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The victim was identified as Ashley Bonilla, 18, of Port St. Lucie.

The crash occurred about 4:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95, south of Sheridan Street. Three lanes were closed for several hours.

The white vehicle, possibly a small SUV or minivan, changed lanes and caused a Dodge pickup truck to spin out of control, hit the center wall and come to a stop in the inside lane, FHP said.

A Nissan Sentra hit the truck, stopped in the travel lane and was struck by a Mitsubishi Lancer.

The occupants of the Sentra and the Lancer got out of their cars and walked to the median.

A southbound Honda Accord veered to the left and crashed into the pickup, pushing it into Bonilla and another person, according to FHP.”

It’s unknown at this time whether police will seek the original driver for charges.  What is known is that if you or someone you love has been injured or worse in a collision, you need the help of Florida personal injury lawyers who have years of experience in successfully fighting for the rights of those wronged.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“The Florida Highway Patrol said Friday that a man wanted for a fatal crash on Interstate 95 in Hollywood was arrested in Southern California.

The San Diego Police Department arrested Jacob Paul Payne, 23, of Hallandale Beach, on an out-of-state warrant at 11:15 p.m. PST on Thursday, according to Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky.

No date for his extradition to Broward County has been set, Wysocky said.

Investigators say Payne was behind the wheel of a Cadillac Escalade that smashed into a Ford Expedition driven by Keisha Pryce, 32, of Hollywood, on Nov. 16. The crash left Pryce’s body burned beyond recognition.

An arrest warrant was issued for Payne late last month on charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, and leaving the scene of an accident.”

Not only is this driver in a world of criminal trouble, but he could face civil liability as well.  If you or someone you love has been harmed by someone else in an auto accident, you need the help of Florida personal injury attorneys who understand how to hold those responsible for this harm accountable.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“After seeing news reports that police wanted to talk to him, the driver of a white Cadillac Escalade at the scene of a crash that seriously hurt a 2-year-old girl met with officers Thursday.

But whether the Cadillac’s driver — Phillip Alvarez, 36, of Pembroke Pines — or two other drivers involved in a Wednesday night accident face any charges will hinge on the result of an investigation that could take up to a year, said Lt. Scott Pardon.

The girl suffered severe internal injuries and was taken to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. She was in critical but stable condition Thursday. The girl was thrown from a van hit by a Dodge Charger in the 6 p.m. crash at Sheridan Street and North 77th Avenue.

If evidence shows the Cadillac’s driver contributed to the crash, knew about it and still fled, he could be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, Pardon said. But if police determine he contributed to the collision and didn’t realize it when he left the crash site, he may not face any charge, Pardon said.”

A troubling aspect of the crash investigation is that it could take a year to complete the process.  If you or someone you love has been harmed in a collision, you should not wait this long to defend your rights.  Instead, you should seek the help of a Hollywood auto accidents lawyer who has years of experience with successfully fighting for the rights of injured clients.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“Police are looking for a white Cadillac Escalade that may have been involved in a crash that seriously injured a 2-year-old girl.

The accident happened at Sheridan Street and North 77th Avenue about 6 p.m. Wednesday. The toddler was thrown from a van hit by a Dodge Charger and was in critical but stable condition early Thursday.

There was also a third vehicle involved in the accident, a Cadillac Escalade, that kept going, police said.

“There were two vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed westbound on Sheridan Street just prior to the traffic crash,” Police Lt. Scott Pardon told WSVN-Ch. 7. “One of those vehicles, the white Charger, was involved in the traffic crash. The second vehicle is a white Cadillac Escalade.”

Angela Cortese, 32, of Davie, was the van’s driver, police said. She was trying to make a left turn onto Sheridan Street when the van was struck by the westbound Charger driven by Gregory Delva, 23, of Pembroke Pines, authorities said.”

If you or someone you love has been harmed in a collision, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who have years of experience in successfully holding those responsible for injuries accountable.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“A 4-year-old boy and his grandmother were struck and seriously injured when a car rammed into them this morning, authorities said.

The accident occurred just after 9 a.m. near the intersection of Nineteenth Avenue and Monroe Street, according to Hollywood Fire-Rescue Div. Chief Mark Steele.

The grandmother was walking the boy to school when a driver struck them, Steele said.

The boy was taken to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and the grandmother was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where both are recovering from injuries that were described as serious, but non-life threatening, authorities said.”

Authorities have indicated that it’s too early in the investigation process to ascertain the cause of the accident, but they did not rule out the possibility of charges being filed.  Fortunately, it appears at this point that both of the pedestrians will survive their injuries sustained as a result of the crash.

If you or someone you love has been harmed in a collision, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who understand how to organize evidence and how to hold those responsible for injuries they cause accountable.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“Two people were sent to the hospital with serious injuries Friday morning after a car smashed into a grocery store, authorities said.

Firefighters pulled the pair from the car, which caught fire after slamming into the Community Food Store at 2910 N. 22nd Ave., according to Hollywood Beach Fire Rescue.”

While no details have yet been provided regarding a potential cause for the crash, the law states that drivers are responsible for the safety of anyone they could possibly harm behind the wheel, especially their passengers.  If it turns out that the driver made a mistake that led to this result, he or she could be facing civil liability not only for the injuries caused but also for the property damage that was caused by the collision.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by someone else’s mistake behind the wheel, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who understand what it takes to identify the cause that led to the injuries.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“Police Chief Chad Wagner has fired five employees who were accused of trying to doctor a traffic report last year, an incident caught on videotape and broadcast nationally.

Officer Joel Francisco, Officer Dewey Pressley, Community Service Officer Karim Thomas, Sgt. Andrew Diaz and crime scene technician Andrea Tomassi had been on paid leave since July after a video surfaced showing some officers talking about how to get another officer off the hook in a rear-end crash.

The exchange was recorded by a dashboard camera in one of the patrol cars. The officers apparently didn’t realize it was on.

The crash happened Feb. 17 in the 2800 block of Sheridan Street.

Francisco was driving the car the rear-ended Alexandra Torrens-Vilas; Pressley wrote the report and arrested Torrens-Vilas. She faced four DUI charges that were later dropped by prosecutors.

The report said “a large gray stray cat” that had been sitting on Torrens-Vila’s lap jumped out of her car window and distracted her, causing her to veer into Francisco’s lane, where she abruptly braked, and he hit her.

“I will do the narrative for you,” one of the officers says on the tape. “I know how I am going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook.”

While the action within the department appears to be complete, there could also be civil liability issues that arise if the woman who was hit was hurt.  If you or someone you love has been harmed in a crash, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who understand how to take on any opponent.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to the Sun-Sentinel:

“A 75-year-old woman died Sunday from injuries she suffered when a car struck her and two others in a Pembroke Pines parking lot last week.

The woman was Patricia Wardrop, 75, of Weston, police said. The Pembroke Pines Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the crash.

According to police, the accident happened at 12:30 p.m. Friday in front of Fuddruckers at the Shops at Pembroke Gardens, near Interstate 75 and Pines Boulevard. A car jumped a curb and struck the three pedestrians.

He said the car was driven by Josephine Curatolo, 65, of Pembroke Pines, who may have hit the wrong pedal while she was in a parking spot. The car accelerated out of the parking spot and through shrubbery before jumping the curb, police said.”

Police are still attempting to piece together what led to this terrible accident, and have encouraged anyone with information to contact them.  In the meantime, the family of the deceased is left to work through this tragedy alone.  If you or anyone you love has been harmed in a collision, you need the help of Hollywood auto accidents lawyers who have the expertise necessary to allow you to grieve properly.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.