One driver was killed and another was seriously injured in a Navarre crash that took place this morning. The crash occurred at the intersection of US Highway 98 and Panhandle Trail. The accident occurred between a pickup truck and minivan, and police deemed it a “T-bone” collision due to its nature. This means that the one vehicle drove into the side of the other. Firefighters arrived at the scene at 11:30 a.m.
The incident happened when 82-year-old Claude Griffith was traveling westbound on the highway in a Toyota. He started to approach the intersection in the area and turned into a northwest direction. This caused him to leave the roadway on the north shoulder. The Toyota then drove through a grassy area of the roadway and crossed into Panhandle Trail, striking the door of a Dodge minivan driven by 82-year-old Everett Franklin Ruzowski.
The minivan rotated from the roadway and struck a power pole at the corner of the trail. The truck continued driving west until it came to a final rest. Power crews were on the scene so that they could restore power to the area.
Ruzowski died at the scene of the accident. Griffith received serious injuries and was taken to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center via medical helicopter.
Charges are pending.
Every 92 seconds, a reportable auto accident takes place in Florida. Many of the leading causes of these accidents are distracted driving, driving under the influence, excessive speed, and more. At this time, we send our condolences to you if you have lost someone close to you in an accident or have been seriously injured. Call us at Rubenstein Law.
Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals & families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases of personal injury relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the injury and tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.
Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments.
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