Cars are supposed to stay on the road, but they sometimes veer off the road and collide with other objects, such as buildings. This can lead to injuries and other outcomes.
A two-vehicle crash recently led to a collision with a building in Daytona Beach. The incident happened on April 19. There was a car accident at the intersection of Seabreeze Boulevard and North Peninsula Drive. A driver ran a red light at the intersection. This caused the driver of the second vehicle to swerve and collide with a business called Goldfingers Aesthetics.
The business was open and had clients inside at the time of the accident. One patient was being checked out, while two employees were behind the front desk. The car pinned the nurse practitioner against the wall. She and everyone inside the building survived, although she says she’s still a little shaken up
The Daytona Beach Fire Department and the Daytona Beach Police responded to the accident. Firefighters immediately secured the vehicles and worked on treating the injured victims. Two people were transported by Volusia County EMS. One was declared a trauma alert. The crash is still under investigation by the Daytona Beach Police.
What to Know About Car Incursions
When a car collides with a building of some type, it is called a car incursion. Car incursions, also known as building strikes, can involve any type of building, but homes, stores, restaurants, offices, hospitals, and gas stations are commonly affected. Close to one-quarter of car incursions involve retail stores. These types of crashes can be scary because nobody expects a vehicle to suddenly crash into a building.
Car incursions may seem rare, but they happen a lot more than you would expect. According to the Storefront Safety Council, there are roughly 100 incidents every day. On an annual basis, they cause 2,600 deaths and 16,000 fatalities.
While the structure protects occupants to some extent, they are not indestructible. More than 40% of these incidents involve at least one injury, while 8% result in at least one fatality. Gas pump incursions are especially dangerous. In the United States, gas pumps are hit by cars every day. At least once a week, such a crash causes a fire and explosion.
It may seem strange that a car would crash into a building. You may wonder what causes something like this to happen. Here are some possible reasons:
- Pedal confusion. This is the most common reason for car incursions. What happens is that the driver presses the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal by accident. Younger drivers (such as teenagers) and older drivers (70s and older) are more prone to make this error.
- Driving while distracted. Distracted driving can cause a driver to lose focus on the road. Texting, talking on the phone, putting on makeup, eating, or adjusting the radio are common acts that can divert a driver’s attention away from the road and cause a building incursion.
- Drunk driving. Driving under the influence causes decreased judgment and reflexes. Alcohol use accounts for about 19% of car incursions.
- Driver error. Driver error also accounts for approximately 19% of car incursions. This can include all sorts of actions, from veering in and out of lanes to making a wrong turn to driving in the wrong direction.
- Traffic accidents. An accident that results in the driver losing control of the vehicle accounts for 11% of car incursions.
- Medical emergencies. Blackouts, heart attacks, seizures, and other medical issues are responsible for 9% of car incursions.
- Police chases. High-speed police chases can lead to a loss of control. They cause 8% of vehicle crashes into buildings.
While drivers may seem like the ones at fault most of the time, it’s important to understand that liability can extend to store owners as well. Building owners, property managers, and business operators also have a duty to protect customers from potential storefront accidents. Implementing safety measures like increased lighting, signs, bollards, and speed bumps can help prevent such incidents.
Contact Us Today
Building strikes can be serious. Thousands of people are injured and killed in such incidents every year.
Florida sees high traffic density, which means a high number of car accidents. If you have been injured, contact the Florida lawyers at Brill & Rinaldi, The Law Firm. Florida is a no-fault state as well as a comparative negligence state. This means obtaining compensation can be tricky. Our free initial consultation will help determine whether your case meets the required threshold. To schedule a consultation, call (954) 876-4344 or fill out the online form. We have offices in Weston, Coral Gables, and Daytona Beach.