Two separate crashes in Downtown Miami and Broward Saturday and Sunday have resulted in at least three deaths and numerous injuries, according to local news outlets.
The first of the two crashes happened Saturday just before 7 a.m. near North Miami Avenue and NE 8th Street. Footage from NBC 6 South Florida showed at least three cars involved in the collision that were mangled and heavily damaged. At least one person was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders and several others were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The second crash occurred at a Broward intersection around 2:30 p.m. Sunday and involved at least three vehicles. The crash happened at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Sixth Street. Six adults were rushed to local hospitals in conditions that ranged from critical to serious, according to local news outlets. Two of the six adults later died at the hospital.
Additional details including what caused the crashes were not immediately available Monday.
Though harrowing news headlines and nightly news reports round up details of numerous fatal daily crashes in and around South Florida, the issue is not unique to the state. In data published by USA Today, the number of deadly crashes in the United States increased by more than 16% overall from 2018 to 2022. Texas, California and Florida, places that are known to be tourist attractions, ranked in the top three for the most fatal crashes in the country. Florida came in third with 3,652 total crashes in 2022 preceded by California in second and Texas in first place.
In the data, collected from 2018 to 2022, the numbers showed that Florida had a 24% increase in statewide fatal crashes. During that period, speed accounted for only 10% of crashes with fatalities. Florida ranked among the top three states in the country with the most alcohol-related crashes that involved deaths. In 2021, the state had 1,045 alcohol-related fatal crashes.
Miami-Dade County has had 162 deaths related to crashes reported in 2024, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ crash dashboard, a dataset that records crash types, injuries and fatal crashes in the state.
Leesfield & Partners
Car accidents are the most common personal injury claim. Numbers from the Department of Justice estimate that motor vehicle crashes account for approximately 52% of all personal injury cases in the United States. In its 48 years representing clients and grieving families throughout Florida, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have garnered extensive experience in the accident cases practice area. The highest award amount achieved for a client represented by the firm to date was a car accident case involving a drunk driver who carelessly careened down the wrong side of I-95 while speeding. The family in that case, who was on their way to drop off their daughter at her medical school’s orientation, was hit head-on. This tragedy changed their lives forever, resulting in the death of their daughter and severe brain and orthopedic injuries for their 21-year-old son. The injuries left the young man wheelchair-bound and unable to speak, requiring constant care for the rest of his life.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys were able to secure a $95 million settlement amount for the family with $57 million going to the son and $38 million to the parents.
Another painful and tragic case involves that of a man, 22, who was a passenger in a car when it was hit from behind by a drunk driver who was fleeing police. The car had been waiting at a drawbridge at the time of the crash. The man represented by Leesfield & Partners attorneys suffered permanent brain injuries, memory loss and chronic seizures.
Attorneys with the firm secured a $15.4 million verdict for the injured man.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys also obtained an $8,650,000 settlement and a $7,995,467 wrongful death arbitration award in the case of three teenagers hit by a commercial truck making an illegal U-turn on the turnpike. The girls were on their way to the library when the truck turned directly into their lane. One of the girls died in the horrific incident and the other two sustained substantial injuries.
Other cases handled by the firm include over $5 million for a 34-year-old mother of three who suffered permanent brain damage after her car was run over by another speeding vehicle and a $1.4 million settlement secured for a client injured in a head-on collision.
If you or a loved one was injured on the road in Florida, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney at 800-836-6400 for a free consultation today.