Orange Park, FL (August 20, 2018) - A Sheriff's deputy in Clay County suffered critical injuries in a motorcycle crash on Sunday. Deputy Ben Zirbel was riding his motorcycle on Camp Francis Johnson road when he was struck by a pickup truck attempting to make a left turn. The truck was driven by 35 year old Steven Schioppa. A third vehicle driven by 43 year old Erin Taylor was also invovled in the crash. Schioppa's truck was towing a trailer at the time of the crash.
Zirbel suffered very serious injuries in the collision. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. Police determined that Schioppa was at fault for the crash and believe that he failed to yield the right of way to Zirbel. There is no word on whether Schioppa has been formally charged in the accident.
Officers continue to investigate.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Ben Zirbel and his family during this difficult time.
In 2015, over 9,000 people were injured as a result of motorcycle accidents in Florida. This number is very high, considering that less than 1% of all registered vehicles are motorcycles. At Rubenstein Law, we know how serious a motorcycle accident can be.
It appears in this accident that Steven Schioppa is legally responsible because he failed to yield to Ben Zirbel. Failing to yield the right of way is a common negligent driving behavior that leads to accidents in our state. Such negligence would entitle Zirbel to bring a personal injury claim.
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a Florida motorcycle accident, call us today. Our team of staff and attorneys want to help. We offer free consultations. To speak with an attorney, please call 1-800 FL-Legal.
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.
