A busy North Miami street is perhaps the last place one would expect to see an all-terrain vehicle. Perhaps that had something to do with a recent ATV collision that resulted in the death of the vehicle’s rider. The car accident between the ATV and a passing minivan occurred near the corner of NE 149th Street and 6th Avenue, at the driveway for a Walgreens.
According to eyewitnesses of the collision, the four-wheeled ATV struck the side of the passenger door on the minivan with enough speed to vault over the vehicle, hitting the ground on the other side. The rider, a 24-year-old-man, died instantly of his injuries at the scene of the accident.
According to Miami-Dade authorities, the driver of the minivan was uninjured in the collision and will face no charges. A crowd consisting of residents from the surrounding apartment complexes formed immediately after the fatal accident, prompting officers to create a perimeter around the crash scene to make ample room for an investigation by traffic homicide detectives.
When a death occurs during a traffic accident, a careful investigation is necessary to determine culpability. Florida residents have the right to pursue compensation in civil court from a negligent driver if one was found to have been the cause of an accident. Family members of a victim of a fatal car accident need to be aware of their legal rights. While compensation may not help in dealing with the emotional pain of a loss, it can help families deal with the unexpected final costs.
Source: WPLG-TV, “Man dies in ATV accident in North Miami,” Oct. 8, 2012
