Crash along I-95 in Viera Leaves Two Dead

A single-car crash that took place on Interstate 95 in Viera this past Friday resulted in the deaths of two people, according to the reports from various news sources, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Wildlife Conservation Commission.  Because of the unusual nature of the crash, the event is still under investigation by detectives with the Florida Highway Patrol; however, enough of the details surrounding the crash have been made public that it is possible to reconstruct the majority of the circumstances contributing to the accident.

Close to 8:00 in the morning, the 42-year-old Ingrid Thompson, the 39-year-old Gavin Stephenson, and the 23-year-old Raymond Thompson were nearing the 196th mile marker of I-95, close to the Rockledge border, when something occurred to cause the Stephenson, who was behind the wheel of the car, to lose control and drive into a watery ditch beside the road.  During the car’s course from the road to the ditch it overturned and was lying on its roof when emergency responders arrived.

Even though no other cars were involved in the crash, damage to the single vehicle was still severe enough to require the Florida Highway Patrol and other emergency response services to use the Jaws of Life in order to extract both Ingrid Thompson and Stephenson.  First responders also attended to Raymond Thompson, a Palm Springs resident, but he was able to exit the damaged car without the aid of special equipment, and his injuries were not deemed serious.

Gavin Stephenson and Ingrid Thompson were rushed to Wuesthoff Hospital, both of them suffering from critical injuries.  Help from the medical services at the hospital could not override the damage from the accident, and both Thompson and Stephenson died as a result of crash.  It seems that the elder Thompson died before Stephenson, but it is not clear from the official statements just how much time elapsed between the two occurrences.

Judging where the fault lies in this crash will be no small feat for the investigators.  Known already are the facts that everyone in the car was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and that alcohol did not play a role.

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.