trippfirm

PEDESTRIAN HIT BY CAR while trying to cross ROOSEVELT BLVD. in Clearwater ♦ Pinellas Sheriff ♦ Florida Highway Patrol investigates

PINELLAS COUNTY – Twice in a month, a pedestrian has been hit and killed as he tried to cross Roosevelt Boulevard in Pinellas County. The accident happened on Saturday night at about 11 p.m. Law enforcement officials said the man was killed when he was hit by an automobile as he tried to cross Roosevelt…

Woman seriously injured by Pit Bull • Dog attack in St. Petersburg • Listed in serious condition

PINELLAS COUNTY – According to a report on BayNews 9, law enforcement officials say a dog attacked and seriously injured a woman Thursday afternoon. St. Petersburg police said the dog, which they described as a 100-pound pit bull, attacked a woman as she walked into her backyard. The woman suffered gashes on her left arm…

Federal judge DENIES Toyota’s bid to seal whistleblower lawsuit

NATIONAL – Toyota Motor Corp.’s request to seal a U.S. lawsuit by a former in-house attorney claiming the carmaker destroyed crash data was denied yesterday by a judge who said the suit was already ‘irreversibly’ public. The suit, filed in July by Dimitrios Biller, a former Toyota in-house lawyer, claims the world’s largest automaker hid…

DRIVER INATTENTION IS LEADING CAUSE OF TRAFFIC CRASHES – CELL PHONE TEXTING is a PROBLEM

NATIONAL – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) driver inattention is a leading cause of traffic crashes, responsible for about 80 percent of all collisions, Considering crashes are the number-one cause of accidental death in the U.S., it is important to pay close attention to our driving habits and those of other…

AGGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION SAVES LIVES • Florida Highway Patrol releases recent enforcement results

TALLAHASSEE – Col. John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol, today announced the preliminary results of recently completed enforcement initiatives where troopers placed special emphasis on impaired drivers, as well as those who violate Florida’s Move Over Law. From August 21 through September 7, the Patrol participated in the national Over the Limit –…

Fatal crash prompts Toyota-LEXUS to order floor mat inspections

NATIONAL – According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “Toyota said Tuesday it will order all dealers to inspect their cars for mismatched floor mats after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four family members in San Diego County.” The piece notes…

BICYCLIST is critically injured in collision with U S Postal Service mail truck on Gulf Boulevard in BELLEAIR BEACH

BELLEAIR BEACH — A bicyclist was in critical condition last night after running into a parked U.S. Postal Service delivery truck. Authorities said a medical helicopter took the 55-year old bicyclist to Bayfront Medical Center after the incident, which occurred just before 3:30 p.m. The man was riding his bicycle south on Gulf Boulevard when,…

City of Seminole – Councilors support new traffic light at Park Street and Burning Tree Drive

SEMINOLE – City of Seminole officials passed a resolution Sept. 3 supporting the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Park Street and Burning Tree Drive at the entrance to the Seminole Lake community. According to county officials, the Burning Tree/Park Street intersection was the site of 25 crashes over the past five…

At least one injured in Pinellas Park motorcycle accident • Belcher Road at 78th Avenue

PINELLAS PARK — At least one person was injured in an accident Tuesday night at Belcher Road and 78th Avenue N, officials said. The accident, which occurred just after 11 p.m., involved a motorcycle. One person was taken to the hospital as a trauma alert. Pinellas Park police are investigating. No other details were available…

Some consumers suing banks over debit overdraft fees

According to the The New York Times (9/9, A1, Lieber, Martin) reports on the increased incidence of banks charging hefty fees when customers overdraw their accounts with debit card purchases, noting that “this year alone, banks are expected to bring in $27 billion by covering overdrafts on checking accounts, typically on debit card purchases or…