THE FLORIDA STATE PATROL HAS RELEASED THE NAMES OF THE TWO PEOPLE KILLED IN THAT HEAD-ON WRECK ON HIGHWAY 70 AND COUNTY 721 TUESDAY MORNING. 21 YEAR OLD JACOB VIOLETTE OF VERO BEACH WAS KILLED WHEN HIS PICKUP TRUCK TRAVELLED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ABOUT 3:40AM AND CLIPPED THE FRONT END OF A FORD VAN DRIVEN BY 46 YEAR OLD JEAN FILEMOND FROM PORT ST. LUCIE. BOTH DRIVERS WERE KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE FIVE PASSENGERS IN THE VAN; THREE DECLINED TREATMENT AT THE SCENE, AND TWO WERE TRANSPORTED TO AREA HOSPITALS WITH SERIOUS INJURIES.
DETAILS HAVE FINALLY BEEN MADE PUBLIC ON THAT COLLISION CHRISTMAS EVENING SOUTH OF AVON PARK IN WHICH MULTIPLE FLIGHT FOR LIFE HELICOPTERS HAD TO TRANSPORT THE VICTIMS OUT OF THE CRASH SITE – THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE WERE NO FATALITIES. STATE ROAD 17 WAS CLOSED FOR HOURS AFTER A CHEVY MALIBU DRIVEN BY 22 YEAR OLD CYNTHIA CISNEROS OF AVON PARK COLLIDED WITH A NISSAN DRIVEN BY 50 YEAR OLD RONEL INELUS OF ZOLFO SPRINGS JUST WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF 17 AND SEARS ROAD. FHP REPORTS INDICATE CISNEROS WAS ENTERING THE TURN WHERE 17 TURNS SOUTHBOUND AND CROSSED THE CENTER LINE, CLIPPING INELUS’S CAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER. TWO PASSENGERS IN INELUS’S VEHICLE WERE TRANSPORTED TO LAKELAND REGIONAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, AS WAS CISNEROS. INELUS WAS TAKEN TO ADVENT HEALTH IN SEBRING. ONE PASSENGER IN THE CISNEROS CAR ESCAPED WITH NO INJURIES. THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
JUST IN CASE IT GOT YOU WORRIED, THE SMOKE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOTICED IN SEBRING YESTERDAY WAS NOT A BIG THING. WELL, IT WAS BIG, BUT PLANNED. A 200+ ACRE CONTROLLED AUTHORIZED BURN OFF OF ROBERTS ROAD IN THE AVON PARK/ARBUCKLE AREA. A SHIFT IN THE WIND BLEW A BIT OF SMOKE BACK IN TOWARDS AVON PARK AND THE NORTHERN PART OF SEBRING CAUSING QUESTIONS, BUT NO – NO DANGER. IT WAS ALL UNDER CONTROL.
IF YOU’RE STILL FIDDLING WITH YOUR CELLPHONE WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD COST YOU STARTING NEXT WEDNESDAY. THE STATE LAW AGAINST TEXTING AND DRIVING HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR, BUT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN CUTTING DRIVERS SOME SLACK AS FAR AS TICKETING YOU FOR PLAYING WITH YOUR PHONE – BY AND LARGE, THAT’S GOING TO STOP NEXT YEAR. A FIRST TIME VIOLATION COULD COST YOU A $116 FINE; GET CAUGHT A SECOND TIME AND THE FINE IS $166. AND YES, IT’S NOW A PRIMARY VIOLATION – THEY CAN STOP YOU FOR THAT AND NOTHING ELSE.