Palm Beach County Deputy Rescues South Florida Woman After Car Crashes into Canal
A Palm Beach County, Florida car accident made the national news this past Thanksgiving holiday week.
According to media reports, a woman working the Black Friday post-holiday sales at a Target store went off the road while driving home after an overnight shift, crashing into a Florida canal. The media reported that the woman, age 36, may have fallen asleep at the wheel of her silver Pontiac, losing control of her vehicle, which went into the canal. The Palm Beach area car crash reportedly occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
News reports stated the woman was able to place a 911 emergency call to police. A nearby Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy was able to get to the scene and rescue the woman from her sinking vehicle.
Palm Beach County, FL car accident lawyers are well aware of the hazards of drowsy driving -- as well as the challenges of navigating Florida roadways where canals run right alongside. This particular motor vehicle crash into a Florida canal occurred in Pahokee -- a small city on Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida.
This was not the first victim of a Florida canal car crash that the responding deputy had rescued. The Palm Beach Post reported that Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy Frank Mayo, who pulled the woman from the sinking car, had in fact rescued other accident victims in 1992. At that time, The Post reports, he was able to rescue three of four women whose car had flipped over a guardrail and into a canal off Florida US 441. The Deputy told the press that he had been involved in rescuing additional car crash victims at risk of drowning in Florida canals in the past.
South Florida's vast system of canals snakes through the region, along back roads and highways, including off the Florida Turnpike. Originally built for flood control, they're prevalent in South Fla. counties, including Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Their construction ranges from bridged canals to submerged culverts.
These canals have been the subject of discussion among Florida traffic safety advocates for some time, given so many car crashes in Florida occur each year when motorists go off the road and land in the canals. Sadly, Florida drivers and passengers drown in these canal car crashes, as the cars sink quickly before they can escape or help can arrive and rescue them. The accident victim in this Palm Beach County car accident was fortunate that she was able to call 911 and a Florida deputy was nearby. Additional police arrived on the scene to assist the responding deputy with the rescue. See links below to news stories including videos.
Related Florida Accident Attorney articles:
Guardrails Could Prevent Florida Car Crashes into Canals and Drowning Deaths (July 2011)
Florida Family Missing From Fort Lauderdale Since '99 Found Dead in Van Submerged in Canal Off I-75 (April 2010)
Sources:
Black Friday Worker Rescued From Canal After Losing Control Of Car Due To Exhaustion
Huffington Post Business Nov. 26, 2011
PBSO deputy saves 'Black Friday' Target employee who drove into Pahokee canal
The Palm Beach Post Nov. 25, 2011
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