Clay County Head-On Accident Victim Buried
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Victoria Brandt was newly enrolled to be a third grader at Clay Hill Elementary School --instead this weekend she will be buried after a head-on collision on the Shands Bridge in Clay County earlier this week.
8-year-old Brandt, was one of three children killed in the four-vehicle crash that happened Monday when an SUV mysteriously veered into oncoming traffic near the Shands Bridge. 3-year-old Ann Marie and 5-year-old Michael Buttafucco from eastern Pennslyvania were also killed in the four-car collision.
We are still waiting for the result of an accident report that might show whether drugs or alcohol were involved when the westbound driver of the Toyota SUV, 66-year-old Elmer E. Polite, veered out of his lane and into oncoming traffic of Florida 16. His car hit a minivan then hit another minivan driven by the Buttafucco children's mother, Lisa. She sustained serious injuries. The van was torn open on its side and both children, wearing seat belts, were thrown out.
The family dog was later found wandering with a slight hip fracture.
The Toyota then rolled and crashed into a third vehicle, a 2004 Dodge truck. The adults onboard, both wearing seatbelts, suffered minor injuries. 8-year old Victoria was ejected form the truck. She was not wearing a seatbelt according to the FHP.
The road is described by many as "claustrophic."
Ironically, the collision comes on the heels of National Child Passenger Safety Week--which advocates the use of seat belts and stresses that half of the children killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2005 were unrestrained.
In the United States during 2005, 1,451 children ages 14 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 203,000 were injured. That's an average of 4 deaths and 556 injuries each day (NHTSA 2006a).
Children ages 12 and younger must ride in the back seat and all passengers need seat belts.