Online Defensive Driving Tips

A truck driver was charged with careless driving yesterday after he caused an accident on the US Highway 90. 45 year old Jerry James Goodwin of DeFuniak Springs was driving his sem0truck when he rammed into the back end of a Chevrolet Silverado on Thursday afternoon. The semi-truck then proceeded to overturn and slid across the highway. The truck blocked the entire eastbound lane and even blocked part of the westbound lane as well. The semi-truck was also carrying a whole load of scrap steel and iron, which spilled onto the highway. The driver was charged with careless driving.

In a June crash on Route 51, a driver managed to severely injure the mother of his bride-to-be, and his since pleaded guilty to 2 traffic violations yesterday. 20 year old Adam Mains pleaded guilty before a Common Pleas judge to careless driving and driving above the speed limit in a work zone. The crash that subsequently followed injured Brenda Schragl of South Park. She suffered multiple fractures and brain injuries and was in a coma for nearly a month after the crash. This has caused the postponement of the wedding ceremony. Mr. Mains faces at least $300 worth of fines and a suspension of his driver’s license. The Schragl family on the other hand, has a civil lawsuit pending against Mr. Mains and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, alleging that the work zone was unsafe. The crash took place when the family members were travelling to a restaurant for a rehearsal dinner. Mr. Mains has a long history of driving offenses and has admitted that he was speeding.

A driver was stopped for careless driving in the early morning hours this Sunday. The driver was arrested by the Washington Township police for possession of a weapon and driving under the influence of alcohol. The 36 year old Cabral Simpson was stopped on Sunday morning on Shadow Hill Way by a police officer for driving recklessly. After getting into a conversation with the Driver, the cop determined that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. As per the standard procedures, Simpson was arrested and in the process, the officer found a loaded handgun on him. Simpson was subsequently charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, possession of a handgun, possession of hollow point bullets, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and driving recklessly.

On Monday, a woman crashed her car into the walls of a home – an incident which was caught on video by the surveillance system. The woman was cited for careless driving on Wednesday. Nga Bui was cited for the crash on Ursula Street. The home owners, Ross and Katherine Getchell, have witnessed many crashes at that particular intersection, but this is the first time that a driver actually crashed into their home. The video shows Bui driving north on Ursula and stopping at a yield sign to make a right turn. After making the turn, she kept turning and accelerated and slammed into the Getchell’s house! The car entered the bedroom and left a hole in their brick wall. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and the Getchell’s were not sure just how much damage was caused and how expensive the repairs would be.

Arguments have been doing the rounds with regards to hefty traffic fines being doled out. Should traffic police be issuing $150 warning tickets to speeding or careless drivers, protecting them from high insurance claims while at the same time fattening the government’s wallet? A proposal in the Legislature can possibly change state traffic laws, sparking friction amongst towns, counties and law enforcement agencies with drivers. A bill in the House of Representatives might allow police officers to write warning tickets to careless drivers and speedsters. The point behind this is the driver would not suffer points on his driving record, which would otherwise raise his insurance premiums. And, it would also enable the cash-strapped government to split the take. If passed through, this new law could raise a lot of money for the state as well as its cities and towns. Careless driving laws became immensely popular in the 80’s, where drivers could plead to the local charge and pay a much hig...