Miami

Published on: February 7, 2025

Crews Set Out to Clean Plane Crash Wreckage from the Potomac River, officials say.

Last week, the U.S. watched in horror as news spread of a collision in Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, marking the deadliest air disaster in over 40 years.

On Monday, a little less than a week later, crews were set to begin removing parts of the passenger jet and helicopter from the Potomac River. Officials told reporters with USA Today that the debris from the passenger jet will be the initial focus of removal efforts, an estimated three-day-long task. After that, the team will focus on debris from the Black Hawk helicopter.

As of Monday, at least 55 people killed in the crash were identified. About 28 of the 67 people killed in the crash were members of the figure skating community who were returning from a development camp for skaters in Wichita following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating national championships. Those on the plane included parents, coaches and athletes, some of whom were as young as 11 years old.

Published on: February 5, 2025

Pickup Truck Driver Faces Charges After Driving Through Liquor Store, police say

By Leesfield & Partners

An elderly pickup truck driver faces charges after police accused him of driving drunk through a liquor store, causing an estimated $20,000 in damage over the weekend in Alachua County, Florida.

The driver was charged with driving under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to court records. The Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg will not be naming the man as he was not charged with a felony.

Police say they were called out following reports of the crash around sunset on Thursday, Jan. 30, to the liquor store, which is about a 70-mile drive southwest from Jacksonville. When they arrived, they found that the pickup truck had driven through the storefront. Officers conducted a field sobriety test which they say he performed “poorly” on before he was taken to jail.

Published on: January 30, 2025

Elementary School Principal and Teacher in Brevard County Face Charges After 100 Kids Found Drinking at Party, Florida cops say

By Leesfield & Partners

An elementary school principal and teacher face multiple charges after police broke up a house party where over 100 minors were drinking, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, 47, of Cocoa Beach, was charged with an open house party, a liquor law violation, and contributing to a child’s delinquency. Both of these charges are misdemeanors in Florida. Hill-Brodigan also faces a felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. She was granted a $3,500 bond and released Saturday.

Hill-Brodigan is a principal at Roosevelt Elementary School, which is a part of the Brevard County School District.

Published on: January 24, 2025

Florida Child, 11, Dies after Hit by Car While Walking from School Bus Stop, police say

By Leesfield & Partners

A sixth grader who was it by a car while walking away from her school bus died Thursday from her injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 11-year-old girl was dropped off by her school bus around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon in Brooksville, a city in Hernando County about 50 miles north of Tampa, when a woman, 65, in a Toyota Corolla hit her. The child was walking north along the unpaved and unmarked road at the time of the crash, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. It was not immediately clear if the woman was speeding.

The child was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. She died Thursday.

Published on: January 16, 2025

One Person Hospitalized Following Townhouse Fire in Homestead, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire that broke out Monday night left at least one person hospitalized and several neighbors running from their beds and clamoring for their pets to get to safety.

Firefighters and emergency personnel were called out to the 4200 block of Northeast Ninth Street around 11 p.m. for the flames.

The person who was hospitalized has not been named, but officials told reporters with Channel 7 News that they were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. The two-story home where the flames began had smoke damage and shattered windows following the fire.

Published on: December 31, 2024

Pennsylvania Officials: Carbon Monoxide Suspected in Canadian Model Dayle Haddon’s Death. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the suspected cause in the death of 76-year-old Dayle Haddon, a Canadian supermodel best known for being the face of the makeup brand L’Oréal.

Haddon died Friday at the Solebury Township, Pennsylvania home of her actor son-in-law, Marc Blucas. She had been staying in a carriage house with Blucas’ 76-year-old father who remains in critical condition at the hospital, according to reporting from The New York Post. Both had been visiting their children for the holidays.

Emergency responders were called out to Blucas’ property around 6:30 a.m. after they were told a man was lying unconscious on the first floor or the carriage house. He was transported to the hospital before police learned Haddon was still inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Published on: December 31, 2024

Women Rescued After Falling into Florida Golf Course Quarry. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two women have a harrowing tale of how they spent their 2024 Christmas holiday after falling 50 feet into a Citrus County, Florida, golf course quarry.

The women, who have not been named, fell into the cavernous quarry on Christmas Day and were found Thursday morning. Both were in stable condition, according to reporting from the Miami Herald and were taken to a local trauma hospital.

Temperatures dropped to around 50 degrees that night. Additional details, including how many hours the women spent awaiting rescue, were not immediately available Friday morning.

Published on: December 27, 2024

One dead, five others injured in Broward boat explosion, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

Footage of a boat explosion that killed one man and injured five others has gone viral online, with witnesses telling reporters the vessel exploded while it was refueled.

The incident happened Monday, just days before the holidays, around 6 p.m. at the Lauderdale marina, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. At least one other boat caught fire in the incident. The explosion took place near the 15^th Street Fisheries, a nearby restaurant that frequently attracts tourists and boaters alike.

At least three of the five people who were hurt had traumatic injuries. The body of Sebastien Gauthier, 41, of Quebec, Canada, was found in the water by officials with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Monday night.

Published on: December 27, 2024

Over 600,000 Nuna Baby Essentials Child Car Seats Recalled Over Harness Worries.

By Leesfield & Partners

Nuna Baby Essentials is recalling over 600,000 child car seats after fears that the harness adjuster may loosen, possibly preventing the seats from restraining children, the company’s Product Development Vice President announced last week.

The announcement comes after An October probe from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after a petition from the public. The recall impacts certain Rava seats – made between July 16, 2016, and October 25, 2023, – with plastic harness adjuster buttons. The issue with the car seats is the possibility of debris entering

Car seat owners may contact Nuna’s customer service at 1-855-686-2891 or via email at info.usa@nunababy.com.

Published on: December 18, 2024

Self-Driving Taxis in Miami? A Look Back at Motor Vehicle Crash Litigation at Leesfield & Partners

By Leesfield & Partners

Thanks to recent advancements in autonomous vehicle technology, self-driving cars are no longer a thing of the past, and driverless robotaxis may soon be available for transit in Miami.

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, announced it expects to bring these taxis to Miami, making the city the fifth in the U.S. with this service. The company currently boasts 150,000 weekly rides, all without drivers, in cities like San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The decision, however, has not come without controversy. A federal investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Waymo vehicle collisions with a fixed object in May. In addition to these collisions, incidents in which the cars allegedly went the wrong way down the road and ran through traffic lights are what prompted the investigation.