According to statistics released by the state, around 333 deaths in 2021 resulted from crashes caused by distracted driving. Compared to the past eight years, this is the highest known record in Florida. Over one thousand distracted driving crashes occurred weekly in the United States last year. Over 3,100 people succumbed, and more than 424,000 sustained injuries from accidents caused by distracted driving.
In July 2022, an accident on the exit of Tampa Road killed an uber driver, Tracy Carson, and her passenger, Daniel Whitefield. Tracy Carson was heading to the airport to drop off her passenger, Daniel Whitfield, when a pickup driver trying to retrieve his phone from the floor collided with their car’s rear end.
When Carson picked up Daniel Whitfield at his residence in St. Petersburg that Monday morning, both were strangers. Whitfield was heading to the Tampa International Airport to catch a flight to Washington, D.C. On their way to the airport, they talked about Whitefield’s little child commemorating her first birthday, his copyrighting career, and his recently published first novel. Carson, on the other hand, served in the Air Force in the U.S, and her hobby was traveling the world.
They crossed over the Howard Frankland Bridge at around 7 a.m., but the traffic congestion from the intersecting roads made them stop on the exit ramp. According to a highway patrol officer’s report, the pickup truck rammed into the back side of the Toyota Camry that Carson and Whitfield were driving. Whitfield and Carson succumbed to the injuries.
In the best case scenario after an Uber accident, the parties share insurance information and come out unharmed. However in this case, the estate representatives of the victims have initiated a legal proceeding for the pickup driver and his employer to respond to charges of careless driving. The deadly crash is yet another indication of how distracted driving has taken innocent lives. According to the officer’s report, the pickup driver accepted that the accident occurred when he tried to pick up his phone, which had fallen to the floor while he was driving.
The Life of Daniel Whitfield
Daniel Whitfield, an ambitious man, desired to be a recognized author and have a big family.
He was a Birmingham, England native. In his early days, he loved different things; he performed in musical comedies and Shakespearean plays. He was also a wrestling fan who followed his favorite stars closely.
Upon completing his studies at the University of Nottingham, Whitfield won a scholarship to further his studies at Wisconsin University. He focused on the history of different countries and was an assistant lecturer teaching British history. He had no intention of staying in the United States, but he got an internship here, where he subsequently met his wife, Nena.
Later, he got a job in McLean working for a copywriting and fundraising services company. He married Nena in 2014 and together welcomed their first daughter, Dagny, in 2015. He later welcomed two more children; Zora and Magnolia.
Whitfield launched “Eagle Ascending,” his debut novel, in 2021. It is a thrilling story about a police officer in New York enquiring about a deadly Museum bombing. He would discover later that an infamous Nazi general, his grandfather, was part of the culprits who participated in planning the bombing. Daniel’s second novel will become known next year.
On the morning of the accident, Nena Whitfield waited for the usual text message from his husband that he would send telling him about his progress on the journey. But around that moment, a trooper came to their home to inform her about the demise of her husband.
In a social media post, Nena remembers how her husband would bring her flowers anytime he went to the market. She, in another post, acknowledges she was still grieving and had difficulty accepting the loss of her husband.
The Full Life of Tracy Carson
The tribute to Carson portrayed a person who lived an adventurous life. She was born in Illinois and served her country. After leaving the Force, she got a job in the government, and later became a coffee shop owner. Before moving permanently to St. Petersburg, she visited and lived in various parts of the world.
She was an intelligent, funny, kind, and thoughtful person. She loved outdoor activities; her game was skiing, scuba diving, and skydiving. She viewed life positively and would pass the vibe to people around her. She could start a conversation with people she met. Carson was a mother of three children, and one of her kids was a minor when the representatives initiated the legal proceeding.
Mr. Hientzelmeier’s Tragic Mistake
The day when Ms. Carson was heading to the airport to drop off a passenger, Mr. Howard Hientzelmeier was behind them in a 2021 Dodge Ram truck. Sunroom, a solar cell firm, owned the vehicle Hientzelmeier was driving.
The initial crash report indicated that the driver slammed into Carson’s car, making it spin around and drift to the roadside. The pickup smashed into the back of a Hyundai luxury Sedan, causing a back-end crash involving more than three vehicles.
According to the road patrol report, the pickup driver said that his phone had fallen and was attempting to find it when the accident occurred. The record indicates that he drove the truck carelessly and negligently, however, he has not been criminally charged yet because of a traffic homicide investigation currently running.
State officials describe distracted driving as a health problem, and the institution whose duty is to prevent and control the disease has on its social platforms addressed the menace. From 2010 to 2019, more than three thousand people died in accidents resulting from distracted driving.
There have been campaigns by troopers and other bodies mandated with highway behaviors to warn drivers from using their phones while driving. Unless people change their attitudes and behaviors, these tragic accidents are likely to continue.
