A deadly head-on collision happened on Thursday, January 14, after a driver going the wrong way struck another vehicle.
According to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 4 AM. James Etchberger, 29, was heading northbound in the southbound lanes of Military Trail in a 2017 Nissan Rogue. Americo Nunez Taveras, 64, was driving south in the southbound lanes in a 2017 Toyota Camry, just south of Hypoluxo Road.
The two vehicles hit head-on, leading to critical injuries for both drivers. They were taken to a local hospital, where Nunez Taveras was later pronounced dead. Etchberger remains in critical condition.
Authorities are still investigating the accident. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, wrong way accidents often happen due to a failure to observe posted signs or highway markings.
Most of these crashes are head-on collisions, making up 81% of wrong-way crash fatalities. They may be more likely to happen at night or transitional times like dusk and dawn, when visibility is limited.
Our law firm has been handling head-on wrong way motor vehicle crashes for nearly twenty years. We represent the injured victims, or in cases like these when there is a fatality, the surviving family, to make a claim against the involved insurance companies and do our best to recover as much compensation that’s allowed and possible under the law.
Motorists are encouraged to “Stay Right at Night,” or stay in the right lane as much as possible when driving at night, to reduce the risk of head-on collisions.