Plant City, FL — A man was hospitalized following an accident with a semi-truck in Plant City, Florida, on Saturday, April 25, 2015. The accident took place on Interstate 4, around 8:15 in the morning.
Local reports say that a Cadillac being driven by 55-year-old Richard Granison was slowing for a police cruiser parked on the side of the road when he was rear-ended by a semi-truck traveling behind him. The force of the collision pushed Granison’s Cadillac into a Chevrolet Silverado driving ahead of him. The pickup rolled over and the Cadillac crashed into a barrier wall.
Emergency workers took Granison to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. Lorenzo Perez, the driver of the Silverado, suffered minor injuries and was also taken to a local hospital.
Police ticketed Michael Schultz, the driver of the semi, for careless driving.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
If a driver wasn’t able to slow down before rear-ending the driver ahead of them, I have to wonder if maybe they were just following a little too closely. Aside form something like this, or a driver traveling at unsafe speeds, there’s really no reason something like this should have happened. Of course, if an accident was caused because of a truck driver’s reckless driving — which seems to be the case, given what the local police had to say — the trucking company should be held responsible. Of course, trucking companies are notorious for defending bad accidents like this. In a situation like this, evidence really is key. Witness statements, any surveillance footage that may have been recorded, or the data from the truck’s computer are going to help paint of picture of exactly what was happening in the seconds before the crash. The importance of those things can’t be overstated and can really determine how a case like this turns out.
— Grossman Law Offices
