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Every year in North Florida, adults and children are involved in crashes while riding in the back of a truck bed. Most commonly these accidents occur in residential areas or school zones but they can occur on highways.
Six children and a man were involved in an accident while riding in the back of a pickup truck on I-95 near Palm Bay, Florida. According to officials, the crash occurred south of Grant Road at Mile Marker 167. Lieutenant Jeff Taylor of Brevard County Fire-Rescue said that the truck had some sort of camper on it. The truck was driven by a 22-year-old and two adults were inside the cab, a mother and a grandmother. The pickup truck’s right rear tire separated and caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn, said Sergeant Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol. She also said that heat is a known factor to exacerbate problems with worn tires; Melbourne reached a record high of 99 degrees on the day of the accident.
Apparently, the Melbourne trauma center became so crowded that ambulances were diverted to other hospitals so the doctors could treat the crash victims. Lt Taylor said, “In a mass-casualty event like that, our first job is to determine who’s the most critical. But these people were very fortunate. It doesn’t appear anyone was belted in-certainly not in the back.”
Because riding in the back of a pickup truck is so dangerous, it is also illegal in Florida. Sgt. Montes said it is against the law for anyone under 18 to ride in the back of a pickup truck on a limited-access highway. Charges are likely to result from the accident, said Sgt. Montes. For more information, see nine people, including six children, hurt as pick up roll on I-95.