On Saturday, September 14, 2013 a tragic crash occurred on Interstate 75 after a van carrying 15 church members rolled over due to an alleged blown tire. Several of the injured were taken to Lee Memorial Hospital and others have been either released or transferred.
Unfortunately, two of the church members have subsequently passed away. Apparently, the unfortunate victims were connected to the Creole community in Lauderhill near, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Many local churches are holding prayer vigils for the families.
There was also an infant who was injured and was taken to Tampa General Hospital. It was reported that the driver could not control the van nor has there been an official release from Florida Highway Patrol to explain this incident.
Unfortunately, an incident like this, while inexplicable as to way good Church going people needlessly suffer, is not entirely without some understanding. Vehicles of this nature often tend to be quite top heavy and are susceptible of over-turning even without the contribution of a tire failing on the vehicle. The center of gravity on a van of this nature leads it to be capable of shifting its’ weight in such a manner as to cause a potential rollover under the wrong adverse circumstances.
Sometimes these vehicles can be improperly loaded and have an excessive number of occupants which can otherwise cause the vehicle to roll over under sudden emergent circumstances. A tire at one corner of a vehicle failing, is often the cause of a rollover in as much as the vehicle shifts its’ weight balance and may otherwise cause the driver to possibly overreact in compensating for the sudden event. Some vehicles are usually more capable of withstanding these forces than others. This particular van in question also demonstrated that the roof crushed indicating a structural failure of the various columns that were otherwise designed to maintain the integrity of the roof.
For further discussion regarding this trajic matter and topic feel free to contact the Fort Lausderdale Personal Injury Attorneys at the Schulman Law Group at 954-349-3300, 1-877-529-0444, or at info@www.schulaw.com
