Dense fog and smoke left for a terrifying and tragic scene on I-75 after ten people died as a result to multiple pile ups.

It was a scene out of a Hollywood horror movie: mangled cars, twisted, burned cars, the sounds of screams and moans that seemed so distant and far away. A fog so thick, that police officers only had to listen to shrieks and calls for help to tend to those who needed help.

The mixture of heavy smoke and fog that clouded the area of south of Gainesville on Interstate 75 is said to have come from a brush fire that was intentionally set nearby. As a result of dense smoke, at least a dozen cars and six tractor-trailers were involved in a pileup where 10 people died.

Gainesville resident Steven R. Camps was caught up in the accident where he and some friends were driving home several hours before dawn. Upon entering the scene, he said, “You could hear cars hitting each other. People were crying. People were screaming. It was crazy,” he said. “If I could give you an idea of what it looked like, I would say it looked like the end of the world.”¹

Camps told authorities that he was talking to a man in a vehicle next to him about the road conditions when another vehicle struck that man’s car. The man’s vehicle was crushed under a semi-truck that was stopped in front of them. Although Camps car was hit twice, he and his friend were able to evacuate the vehicle and find safety in the grass on the shoulder of the road.

Camps went on to describe the scene he saw from the safety of the shoulder, “It was happening on both sides of the road, so there was nowhere to go. It blew my mind,” he said, explaining that the scene “looked like someone was picking up cars and throwing them.” ²

Authorities have not released the names of the ten people who died nor the 18 people who were taken to the hospital. As surveyors and investigators canvassed the scene, all six lanes of the interstate were closed most of Sunday afternoon.

“Our standard operating procedure is to get the road open as quickly as possible but let’s not forget we have 10 people who are not with us today,” said Lt. Patrick Riordan, a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman. “So we are going to take our time assessing the situation.” It was not clear when the highway would fully reopen because part of the road melted, police said.³

1-4: The Ledger. 1/30/2012. The Ledger Media Group. 2/06/2012. http://www.theledger.com/article/20120129/NEWS/120129265?p=4&tc=pg

There is something that all parents can agree on – being a child in today’s world is vastly different than when you were growing up. Bullying in schools is on the rise and it’s taking on different forms thanks to smart phones and online messaging applications. Parents breathe a deep sigh of relief seeing their child get off the bus at the end of the day with no tears, bruises, or torn clothes. It’s a sad, sad world where every corner in school could be one that your child is backed into.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, close to half of all children will experience school bullying at some point while they are at primary or secondary school. At least ten percent of children are bullied regularly.

Bullying on Buses
The bus ride home after a long day of school should be a safe haven for children. It’s a place to relax and kick back with your neighborhood friends. That dream of a peaceful bus ride home has been shattered as sexual abuse and violence is now prevalent on bus rides home.

National story of bullying on buses
Two 10-year-old boys could face up to 40 years in jail (or no jail time, depending how the judge rules) for forcing an 8-year-boy to perform sex acts on them while riding on a school bus. Authorities became aware of the incident after receiving a tip from a parent, who was not related to the case, to review footage from Aug. 30. The three students involved in the case are special needs students.

Gainesville story of bullying on buses
In Marion County, deputies arrest seven girls between the ages of 13 to 15 for allegedly beating a 13-year-old girl unconscious on a school bus.

What you can do as a parent
The best thing you can do as a parent is to speak to your child. Sit down with your child, discuss anything that’s going on in school and make it an open-minded, safe environment so you he or she can feel open to talk to you about any issues without any judgment. Also, be aware of the signs of bullying (provided by BullyingStatistics.org)

• Becoming withdrawn
• Showing fear when it is time to go to school
• Increasing signs of depression
• Decline in school performance
• Speaking of another child with fear
• Noticeable decline in how the child sees him or herself
• Signs of physical altercations, such as bruises, scrapes and other marks

If you can’t get a straight answer from the child, then turn to the school administration. Your child’s parent will provide more insight and feedback than your child normally will.

It’s scary to let go, hand your child your car keys, and wave goodbye. You have been driving for some time so you understand the dangers and perils out there on the road ahead. How do you explain that to a teenager who knows everything?

Driving is not what it used to be when you first learned how to. The introduction of smart phones and texting has increased the risks by a staggering amount. Just how much? According to statistics provided by NegligentDriving.org, distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens. While 90% of teens admit that they don’t drink and drive, nine out of 10 say they have seen passengers distracting the drivers or drivers using cell phones.

It gets worse. A survey conducted by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Survey found that more than 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior: changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails and shaving.

So what can you do to prepare your child and deter them from these bad habits that could lead to life-threatening consequences? We’d like to help. Here are some tips to prepare your teen for the Florida roads.

Practice + Patience = Perfect.

It takes a lot of practice and patience to teach your child how to become a safe driver. The skills need time to develop gradually so they are instilled properly as good habits. Once your child is old enough for a restricted license, it’s time to start practicing. The longer you wait, the less time you will have with your child on the road before he or she is of age to drive alone and at night.

Here are the hours of practice we recommend when your child receives a driver’s permit:

• 5 Hours – Driving in deserted places
• 10 Hours – Driving in neighborhoods/residential areas
• 40 Hours – Driving throughout the city (except for interstates)

Here are the hours of practice we recommend when your child receives a driver’s license:

• 40 Hours – Driving throughout the city (including interstates)
• 1 – 3 Months – Driving during daylight hours with parent/guardian
• 6 – 12 Months – Driving during evening hours with a friend in the car
• After first year – Driving during evening hours with more than one friend in the car

Prepare for Rain, Sleet, or Snow

The amount of time you spend with your child preparing for weather will depend on where you live. For Florida, you will want to prepare your driver for heavy rains. Remind your child to reduce speed, keep the vision clear, and make sure there are proper treads on the vehicle. In Florida, it tends to rain during sunny weather. This can make it incredibly difficult to see. Some drivers have found it beneficial to wear sunglasses during this paradoxical weather. It allows you to see through the sunlight and into the direction ahead despite the rain.

Avoid Distractions

As a parent of a teenager, you already know that even though your child tells you he or she will not do something, he or she will most likely do it when you’re not looking. Of all of the guidelines, avoiding your cell phone while driving should be the most important lesson you pass on. This is where you can take advantage of applications and innovations that allow you to monitor your child in real-time while he or she is on the road. Some GPS apps will let you monitor your child from your computer to ensure he or she is adhering to the boundaries you have set. Also, some phone apps will allow you to block your child from being able to use the phone while on the road. Ask your insurance company about such apps and be sure to ask to see if they have tools to ensure your child is staying safe on the road – whether they like it or not!

It’s not easy being letting go, but hopefully these tips will make it just a bit easier to transition. They grow up so fast don’t they?

A prominent heart surgeon in Jonesborough, Tennessee, stood in front a judge this week accused of orchestrating a plan to use his surgical team to feed a drug habit.

According to prosecutors, Doctor William Walker wrote several prescriptions for a variety of high-powered drugs to his nurses and surgical techs. His team would then get the prescriptions filled and hand the pills back over to the doctor.

Walker faces 37 felony charges but will not spend a day in jail even if he is convicted. At most, Walker will spend one to six years on probation.

District Attorney General Tony Clark says, “Tennessee unfortunately leads the nation in prescription drugs [abuse]. East Tennessee leads the state.”

Tennessee officers note that state laws are not in tune with the growing problem because prescription drug cases are often hard to prosecute.

Doctor William Walker and three members of his surgical team were fired from their positions at City Medical Center. Although Walker’s license is still active now, it could be revoked after the case is resolved by the Department of Health.

Drug Fraud in Florida

In the state of Florida, drug fraud is taken more seriously. Stronger penalties are enforced in cases concerning “pill mills.” A pill mills is defined as a doctor, clinic, or pharmacy that distributes prescription medication inappropriately for non-medical concerns. Investigators believe that Florida has one of the highest rates of pill mills. If you or someone you love has been charged with drug fraud, contact Steven A. Bagen immediately for a free consultation.

A Jacksonville man was charged with drunk driving and a hit and run accident. Oscar Adolfo Gomez was driving with his children, ages 5, 6 and 9. Police said that they stopped Gomez because he was weaving all over the road around 9 p.m. on Friday. When police questioned him after being pulled over,they noticed the strong alcohol odor and slurred speech. They also matched his car to the same one that was involved in a hit and run accident earlier that evening.

The victim of the hit and run was brought to the scene and confirmed Gomez’s car as the one that rear-ended hers earlier. Already plagued with a long record of traffic violations, Gomez was charged with a DUI causing damage, carless driving, a DUI while accompanied by a minor and leaving the scene of an accident.

Gomez fell asleep in the patrol car during the investigation after he told police that he had three beers and had taken codeine.

Horace Robinson, 60, drove his car into the side of a Wal-Mart store on Southwest Archer Road on November 1. Robinson was driving a gray PT Cruiser convertible by himself when he drove his car into the side of the store at 8:40 a.m. Officials are not quite sure why Robinson drove into the Wal-Mart, though rescue officials say that witnesses saw Robinson stop at the stop sign to the west of the main doors and slowed down and then accelerated into the side of the building.
In a news release, rescue officials said that Robinson “did not appear to have been wearing his seat belt, which may have caused him to slide down under the dash.” Robinson had to be extracted from his vehicle and was unconscious for most of it but he woke up later in the process. He was taken to Shands at the University of Florida. Robinson was reported to be in stable condition.
Robinson had a wheelchair symbol on his license plate that indicated the driver of the car had a permanent disability and needed a disabled person parking permit. This is just another reminder to wear your seatbelts!

Kristin Leigh Cruz, 37, of Hawthorne County was severely injured when her small car overturned several times early Friday morning. She was driving a 2005 Volkswagen Golf eastbound on the four lane when she went into the center median and rotated counter clockwise. Her car over turned many times while crossing over westbound lanes. The accident happened at 2:14 a.m on Southeast Hawthorne Rd. east of Alachua County Rd 325. Cruz was taken to Shands at the University of Florida.
Cruz was the only person involved in the accident. She was wearing her seatbelt and alcohol was not a factor reports FHP Trooper Matthew B. Cranston. Luckily she was ok although critically injured.

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is most often caused by a sudden impact that can change your life in an instant. A traumatic brain injury can effect everything from your ability to get out of bed in the morning to your personality and how you interact with others. A brain injury is vastly different from a broken leg or a punctured lung. It is an an injury that can potentially limit every element of your life. If you or someone you know has developed a traumatic brain injury, it is important to understand what it means and whether or not you have a personal injury case.

Unfortunately, brain injuries do not heal like other injuries. Recovery may be a functional recovery which means it is based on mechanisms and can remain uncertain. No two brain injuries are alike – consequences may be very different and healing process may be as well. Additionally, symptoms may appear right away or weeks after the injury. What is scarier is that the one who received the traumatic brain injury may not even realize that a brain injury has occurred.

Initial symptoms of a traumatic brain injury could include:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness
• Blurred vision
• Confusion
• Memory Loss
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Coma

Types of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injures are divided into two categories: open head injury and closed head injury. Open head injuries occur when skull has been fractured or the membranes surrounding the brain have been distorted. These types of injuries are serious and may require surgery to extract pieces of the fractured skull and implant synthetic fragments.

Closed head injuries do not break the skill and are typically less severe. These types of injuries are often caused by blows to the head. Both of these types of injuries may cause mild to severe brain damage.

Do You Have a Personal Injury Case?

It’s tough to understand the intricacies and detail of personal injury law. If you or someone you know has suffered a traumatic brain injury, it’s time to contact the legal team at Bagen Law & Associates. We’ll listen to your story and provide you with honest feedback regarding your personal injury case.

Top Florida officials announce that crime in the state is down during the first six months of 2011 as compared to the first half of 2010.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the following statistics indicate a decrease in crime in 2011:

2011 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report

• Total violent crime declined 3.2%
• Murders -3.1%
• Robberies – 4.3%
• Aggravated assault -3.4%
• Domestic violence -0.6%
• Forcible sex offenses +1.1%

Total non-violent crime declined 1.8 percent

• Burglary -1.6%
• Larceny -1.2%
• Auto theft -9.4%

A news release by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported that overall crime fell 2% from 2010.  The annual report will released in six months and include the complete calculations on the rates at which the crimes had been committed.

In a great turn for Florida, the report also revealed that violent crimes (murder, rape, aggravated assault) have also decreased to 3.2% overall.

There is one area of crime that has risen. Forcible sex offenses are up 1.1% from last year.

To find the complete 2011 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report, click here.

Two women were killed in a tragic car crash in Alachua County near Gainesville, Fl on October 18^th. The accident occurred at the intersection of U.S. 441 and County Road 237 around 9 a.m.

Penny Wilkes, 59, was driving Chrysler minivan on U.S. 441 heading north when Ellis Hitzing, 97, hit her. Hitzing, driving a tan Lincoln Town Car, did not yield the right of way to Wilkes. Wilkes struck the driver’s side of Hitzing’s Lincoln.

Emergency help arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after it happened but neither women survived the crash. They were the only two involved in the accident.

According to Jesse Sandusky of the Alachua Police Department the investigation of the accident is still ongoing. The only witness to the accident was a man that was across the street, Sandusky said.