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January 14, 2018

Early on Saturday morning, the 29-year-old Van Pelt and the 43-year-old Higgins were traveling down State Road 60 inside of Van Pelt’s car.  It is believed that Vanpelt, a resident of Zephyrhills, was behind the wheel of his Dodge as the two men made their way down the road.  The primary issue in the men’s trajectory was that they were driving down the road in the wrong direction. 

As the two men neared Peavine Road, the situation became drastically worse when they found themselves driving directly toward a semi-truck.  It was reported by the Florida Highway Patrol that the two men collided head-on with the semi-truck at close to 3:45 in the morning.  While it is not known how fast the cars in this case were going, even moderate speeds can be devastating in any car accident.  Head-on collisions, however, are undoubtedly the worst.  Because both vehicles are traveling in opposite directions, the actual speed with which they collide is equal to the sum of their individual speeds.  Therefore, if two cars collide head-on while both are traveling at only 25 mph, the resulting impact is the same as if the vehicles had crashed into a solid object going 50mph.

Police and paramedics responded to the crash and began to pull people from their mangled cars.  Despite the work of the paramedics, Van Pelt was not able to survive the severity of his injuries and he was declared dead at the scene of the crash.  Higgins was alive when the emergency response crews reached him, and he was taken via ambulance to Osceola Regional Medical Center.  The report indicated that Higgins was in critical condition when the hospital admitted him.  It is not clear whether or not his condition has stabilized or if he is still being treated as a critical case.

The driver of the semi-truck involved only suffered some minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

While it is known that all three of the individuals involved were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, it is unclear if the investigating authorities have ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor to the incident.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.

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  • Van Rollover:
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  • Truck Collides with Cow:
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We have 15 convenient office locations around Central Florida to better serve our auto accident clients.

15 Florida Locations

Orange County:
Orlando, FL

500 Delaney Avenue #404
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407-425-2000

Seminole County:
Lake Mary, FL

300 International Parkway #100
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Phone: 407-487-4408

Osceola County:
Kissimmee, FL

17 S. Orlando Ave.
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: 407-966-4408

Volusia County:
Daytona Beach, FL

1301 Beville Rd., Suite 8
Daytona Beach, FL 32119
Phone: 386-243-4994

Volusia County:
DeBary, FL

465 Summerhaven Drive, Suite C
DeBary, FL 32713
Phone: 386-320-3911

Volusia County:
Deland, FL

120 South Woodland Blvd.
Deland, FL 32720
Phone: 386-206-1264

Citrus County:
Inverness, FL

110 North Apopka Ave.
Inverness, FL 34453
Phone: 352-205-4341

Polk County:
Lakeland, FL

1102 S. Florida Ave., Suite 104
Lakeland, FL 33803
Phone: 863-968-7551

Polk County:
Winter Haven, FL

325 Avenue A, N.W.
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-968-7173

Hillsborough County:
Tampa, FL

100 S. Edison St. Suite D
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: 813-355-9772

Marion-Sumter Counties:
The Villages, FL

3420 U.S. Hwy. 27/441
Fruitland Park, FL 34731
Phone: 352-419-0825

Lake County:
Mt. Dora, FL

Mt. Dora, FL
Phone: 352-436-4696

Lake County:
Clermont, FL

3721 S Hwy 27, Suite A
Clermont, FL 34711
Phone: 352-503-4674

Brevard County:
Titusville, FL

506 S. Palm Ave.
Titusville, FL 32780
Phone: 321-222-7300

Brevard County:
Cocoa, FL

96 Willard Street, Suite 206
Cocoa, FL 32922
Phone: 321-757-1373

Client Reviews

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  • I was involved in a motor vehicle accident where the other driver ran a red light and my car was a total loss. I was referred to James Cunningham due to the fact that our attorney’s have been very impressed with James Cunningham’s work. This fact turned out to be very true… A Personal Injury Client
  • My car accident case was handled by Mr Cunningham and I was very pleased with how everything was done. He handles his own cases and his staff is top notch. He got me a very nice settlement without going to court. Derek
  • We contacted Jim Cunningham to help guide us through the "maize" of possible outcomes in settling with insurance companies, medical bills, and even police investigation with the accident. David
  • Cunningham worked hard was professional, supportive, diligent and always maintained contact. I am very satisfied with the service that him and his team provided. Mr Cunningham is a lawyer that will work for you. Dezhaun
  • I consulted with several attorneys, but as soon as I met James Cunningham, I knew he was the right attorney for me. He immediately expressed concern for my well-being, and his compassionate, professional manner put me at ease. Diane