A Canadian man who was driving on an expired license when he struck and killed a Villages couple in a grocery store parking lot is reportedly fighting a pair of citations related to the crash.
The 89-year-old man was cited for driving on an expired license and operating a vehicle with an expired registration following the April crash, according to Villages-News. An 84-year-old Stonecrest woman and her 83-year-old husband were killed in the collision, the news outlet reports.
The couple was mowed down by the Canadian man’s Lexus sport utility vehicle, which cops told Villages-News “accelerated rapidly for an undetermined reason” after making a left turn in the Winn Dixie parking lot in the Villages. They were walking in a marked crosswalk of the lot, located on Bichara Boulevard.
The woman died hours after being transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center. Her husband passed away two days later. The driver, whose vehicle smashed into a flower bed after striking the pedestrians, appears to have walked away uninjured.
The Canadian man, who also reportedly owns a home in Rio Grande Villas, entered a not guilty plea on both citations.
Pedestrian Safety Risks
The accident is unfortunately not the only fatal pedestrian crash that the area has seen in recent weeks.
Two days later, a 41-year-old Wildwood man was struck by a car and killed on U.S. 301. The man reportedly had reportedly been walking in a turn lane at PepperTree Lane.
Some 10,000 people are injured in pedestrian accidents across the state every year, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data. Roughly 750 of those people are killed.
These collisions and the fatalities that come with them are on the rise. Fatal accidents involving pedestrians hit by cars have skyrocketed by more than 50% across the country in the last decade, according to a recent study by the American Automobile Association.
The vast majority of the uptick came from collisions involving pedestrians walking in areas not designated for foot traffic and/or after dark. But, as the recent Winn-Dixie crash shows, even pedestrians who are in walkways may be at risk.
In the tragic event that a person dies in a pedestrian accident in Florida, his or her family members have the right to seek compensation from those responsible by suing for wrongful death. The compensation available in these cases includes money for the loss of the deceased person’s earnings and companionship, as well as for mental anguish and suffering, medical and funeral expenses.
Speak with a Villages Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian, car, golf cart or other accident, it is vital to seek the advice of an experienced injury attorney. Villages wrongful death lawyer Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Villages wrongful death lawyer.
