The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the controversial health care law championed by President Barack Obama in a landmark decision that will impact the November election and the lives of every American.
In a 5-4 ruling, the high court decided the individual mandate requiring people to have health insurance is valid as a tax, even though it is impermissible under the Constitution’s commerce clause.
Last year, Panama City was the most dangerous city of its size in the state for motorists and pedestrians.
The dubious distinction sent police in search of possible solutions, and one solution, implemented last July, was the installation of traffic citation and crash reporting software.
The software, TraCS (Traffic and Criminal Software), is designed to save money and lives by eliminating paperwork for crash investigators and increasing the speed with which traffic crash data gets to decision makers in Tallahassee, said Amy Cochran, a TraCS program coordinator at Florida State University.
“We were looking for anything that would help,” said Sgt. Jason Jeter, who supervises one of two PCPD traffic units.
Personal injury protection — the auto insurance that every Florida driver is required to buy — is about to undergo a major overhaul that state officials hope will translate into lower premiums for millions of motorists.
But for now at least, even the official in charge of making sure the reforms actually work — Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater — says drivers will have to wait before they see significant savings.
“We will know the answer to that in the next 12 to 24 months,” he said.
For months, the Legislature argued over how to fix the system that pays for the first $10,000 in medical bills in an auto accident regardless of who is at fault. Lawmakers ultimately struck a deal to put stricter limits on medical treatments that injured motorists can receive and create a new group intended to fight the fraud that insurers say is endemic in PIP.
As of July 1, state law will ban the use of PIP dollars to pay for massage or acupuncture treatments and will limit the payout for nonemergency treatment of accident-related injuries to $2,500. And Atwater will become head of a fraud-fighting group that’s a bit unusual.
Florida residents involved in car crashes may not be able to get the money they’re entitled to under Florida’s personal injury protection.
A new law limits the amount of time a person has to make medical claims.
LINK: Learn more about Florida PIP law.
David Harter said he was struck by a teenager driving behind him who was on a cellphone.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more Americans aged five to 34 are killed in motor vehicle crashes than from any other single cause. Despite this disturbing fact, a study released this week shows that states where fatalities caused by car accidents are a major issue are doing the least to prevent them. 
PANAMA CITY — A 63-year-old Panama City man sustained “serious, life-threatening injuries” after he was struck while crossing U.S. 98 near the intersection of Mound Avenue Friday afternoon, officials reported.
The man was transported to an area hospital around 4:40 p.m. where he remained in the trauma unit Friday night, said Lt. Robert Luther of the Panama City Police Department. His name was not released.
Police identified the driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian as Kellie Taylor, 28, of Panama City. Luther said the accident is still under investigation and it’s not yet known if criminal charges will be filed, but there are no indications the driver did anything wrong. She was treated for minor injuries.
Luther said Taylor was driving in the eastbound inside lane and the pedestrian crossed from the south side of the road.
After the accident traffic on U.S. 98 was shut down in both directions, backing up traffic for more than a mile in both directions. The westbound lane reopened about an hour and a half after the accident; the eastbound lane reopened about three hours after the accident.
It’s the third time in six months a serious traffic accident occurred in the area.
In December, a pedestrian was killed within a quarter-mile of Friday’s accident. It occurred around 5 p.m. Dec. 9 when a pedestrian was struck by a taxi while crossing the street. Police reported the taxi was traveling in the outside westbound lane of U.S. 98 near Moates Avenue when the pedestrian stepped in front of it. Less than two months later, on the morning of Jan. 25, a four-vehicle crash at U.S. 98 and Moates Avenue killed one person.
Source: “Man seriously injured in accident at U.S. 98 and Mound”, Panama City News Herald, June 9, 2012.
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A traffic accident closed the Pensacola Bay Bridge going toward Gulf Breeze for an hour on Sunday from about 5:45 p.m.
Pensacola Police Department officers were still taking reports on the mishap, which apparently involved a police cruiser and a tow truck, well after 8 p.m. Sunday. No serious injuries were reported.
Unofficial descriptions of what caused the snarl came from drivers who were stuck. Drivers said at least two separate accidents occurred just east of the bridge’s center hump, when a truck rear-ended a car. According to one account, a tow truck enroute to clear the accident scene was bumped by another car and forced into a collision with a Pensacola Police Department vehicle.
Police blocked traffic and turned away hundreds of cars at the gateway intersection of Bayfront Parkway and East Chase Street on Sunday. Some drivers headed for the long detour that utilizes Interstate Highways 110 and 10 before eventually reaching Gulf Breeze far to the east near Navarre. But many found parking spots in Pensacola’s gateway area and waited out the delay.
Motorists with a long history of crossing the water on U.S. 98 East said they’d seen worse jams, but then, the one you’re in at the moment always seems to hold unparalleled frustration.
“It’s hot, and I’m tired,” said Ila Crawford, a retireee who is a 40-year resident of Gulf Breeze.
Panama City-The American Trauma Society says 20% of all the 2009 traffic accidents resulting in injuries came about because of distracted driving.
That’s why Bay Medical Center Trauma officials are raising awareness about the issue.
Currently, Florida law does not prohibit sending text messages or using a cell phone while driving.
Many health officials believe, if more people used common sense on the roads, there would be fewer deaths as a result.
Surgeon Glenn Summers is the Trauma Medical Director at Bay Medical Center.
He says he’s seen too many people in his surgery room, that shouldn’t have been there.
“I had a patient not that long ago that was on the side of the road on his motorcycle and got run over by somebody who as texting at the time,” said Summers. Read more…
The Panama City Beach Police Department is investigating a traffic crash that happened at Landmark Condominiums, 17501 Front Beach Road Wednesday night, police said.
The 8:50 p.m. crash happened as a pedestrian, John Edward Penn, 51, of Newton, Alabama, was crossing the road from Landmark Condominium’s overflow parking lot, heading toward the condominium. As he was crossing the street, he was struck by a 2005 Toyota Avalon, being driven by Author Piech, 76, of Panama City Beach, Panama City Beach police wrote in a news release.
Penn is presently listed in stable condition at a local hospital, police wrote. This crash is still under investigation, police wrote.
Source Panama City News Herald, “Pedestrian struck by car on Front Beach Road”, May 10, 2012
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Emergency crews and the Florida Highway Patrol responded tonight to a four-car crash on rain-slicked U.S. 98 in West Pensacola near the Navy Hospital.
A Florida Highway Patrol officer at the scene said a number of people were injured, at least one seriously.
The accident involved two SUVs that collided head-on and two other vehicles, a pickup truck and a sedan. The officer said rainy weather was a factor in the accident which is under investigation.
The crash was reported at 7:37 p.m. near Navy Exchange Road on U.S. 98.
One westbound lane of U.S. 98 is blocked at this hour as crews remove the damaged SUVs and officers complete their investigation.
A number of victims were taken to Baptist Hospital and the Sacred Heart Trauma Center. There is no word yet on their conditions.
