There are a lot of tongue-in-cheek sayings about animals and their relationship to the pavement that we drive on. We’re all familiar with the chicken’s journey of crossing the road to get to the other side, and most, if not all, of us have seen deer eating grass and foliage along the highway as we hold our breath and hope they don’t hop in front of our car.
However, the accident that occurred on the eve of Labor Day was neither whimsical nor a laughing matter.
On September 4, 21-year-old Walter Vandiver was driving his Ford F-250 east on Indiantown Road just after 11 p.m. Unexpectedly, a pig ran onto the road near the turnpike entrance, and Vandiver was unable to avoid the pig. The collision caused Vandiver to lose control of the truck, as it darted off the road heading south into a row of trees.
Sadly, Vandiver was pronounced dead at the scene. While the loss of any human life is tragic, this was particularly somber because he was so young and had only turned 21 a few days earlier.
Reports indicate that Vandiver had abided by his responsibilities as a driver and wore his seatbelt at the time of the accident. Tests indicated that there weren’t any alcohol or drugs in his system.
What happened to this young man in this sudden accident is deeply saddening, and we extend our condolences to his family and friends. Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath understands that life circumstances can change in the blink of an eye, and are equipped and ready to assist with motor vehicle incidents that turn lives upside down. We can be reached at (561) 655-1990.
