15 Year Olds Struck by Car
Two 15 year old girls were struck by a car in St. Petersburg this morning. The driver of the vehicle was a high school sophomore who hit them from behind. The girls were walking in the roadway because there was no sidewalk. The accident happened at approximately 7:00 a.m. this morning. The girls were ninth graders at Lakewood High School. The accident occurred near 59th Avenue South and Eighth Street. The girls were hospitalized. The driver of the vehicle, 16 year old Tito Bell, a 10th grader at Osceola High School, claims that he did not see them before he hit them. One of the girls was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle and struck the windshield. The other was clipped by a side mirror. Both girls were taken to All Children's Hospital for minor injuries. Charges are possible for the driver. Bell is reported to have had a restricted driver's permit. There was no adult in the car with him.
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident, you may need to speak to an attorney in the Central Florida area, including Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Polk County, and other areas of Florida. There are state statutes that require the parent of a minor driving a vehicle to guarantee the responsibility of the minor, even if the minor owns the vehicle and the minor has a full driver's license. Certainly the parent/guarantor of a minor with a learner's permit would be responsible for the actions of the minor with the learner's permit even if the parent/guarantor is not in the vehicle.
