Author Archives: Jay Butchko
When Poor Vehicle Maintenance Leads to an Accident
Drivers have lots to think about when they’re on the road. Besides worrying about how to get where they’re headed, motorists have to focus on following the rules of the road—paying attention to the speed limit, signaling when appropriate, and avoiding drivers who seem to be in a big rush. These things, on top… Read More »
Distracted Driving Is Serious Business
Why is it that people don’t realize the seriousness of distracted driving? After all, every motorist is controlling at least a ton of metal and rubber, not to mention combustible fluids, often at speeds over 60, 70, or even 80 miles per hour. Nonetheless, drivers succumb to distractions every day across the state, often… Read More »
Cell Phone Forensics Helps Convict Murdaugh
The recent trial of Alex Murdaugh exposed something that occurs regularly as police do their work: that cell phone data can be accessed by law enforcement, and it can have quite an impact on the outcome of a trial. In this case video taken from the victim’s cell phone proved Murdaugh was in the… Read More »
Eye Drop Usage Leads To Serious Infections
A drug-resistant bacteria: it sounds almost like something out of a science fiction movie. Unfortunately, it’s all too real, as some of the people who used artificial tears recently know all too well. That’s because some bottles of the product were contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria, so when infections ensued, treatment options were all but… Read More »
Improper Lane-Changes Can Be Deadly
She was only six years old when, as a passenger in a Dodge SUV, she lost her life due to an improper lane change in South Florida. Several other individuals suffered injuries and were hospitalized, and three vehicles suffered damage—one bursting into flames. Fortunately, the passengers were all able to exit the vehicle without… Read More »
Criminal Negligence Charges
Criminal negligence: it’s the kind of charge that leaves defendants with a plethora of emotions. In addition to feelings of anger (I didn’t do it) or regrets (I should have been paying better attention) about what allegedly led to another person’s suffering or death, feelings of fear and anxiety about how criminal negligence charges… Read More »
Unlicensed Drivers Are A Danger To Others
When a carload of teens careened down Alligator Alley, it smashed into an SUV carrying seven people. When the SUV overturned, there were injuries. Worse, a nine-year-old little girl was killed. The teen responsible for the crash took off on foot, and when the law eventually caught up with him, he confessed that he’d… Read More »
Sinkhole Troubles
Sinkholes are all too common in the Sunshine State, and they are no laughing matter! One family discovered that their car was devoured by a sinkhole in their driveway in Palm Harbor. Another sinkhole in Tallahassee developed in a mobile home park, leaving one home straddling the huge crevasse that measured 60 feet deep… Read More »
Criminal Justice Reforms Needed In Florida
Floridians are forking over roughly $3 billion annually to maintain over 60 state prisons and the 100,000 people who are locked up in them. With 30,000 new people being incarcerated every year, the rate of incarceration is growing annually—to the tune of about 18 percent over a decade. That compares to a national average… Read More »
Safety Around Train Tracks
When a driver’s vehicle became disabled on some train tracks in Ocala, the driver and a passenger did the smart thing: they exited the car. Moments later the oncoming cargo train crashed into the vehicle, smashing it to smithereens. Luckily, smart thinking by the individuals in the vehicle meant there were no injuries. Railroad… Read More »
