It was breathtaking for all the wrong reasons: a pre-dawn t-bone crash on Palm Coast Parkway–the second in nine days–sent two drivers to the hospital with serious injuries and resulted in a mangled delivery truck and a pick-up truck in a ditch.
The crash was almost identical to the t-bone crash that took place just blocks away on Jan. 16, on Palm Coast Parkway and Pine Cone Drive. Two people were killed in that crash when a pick-up truck driving west on the Parkway blew through a red light and struck a sedan, sending both vehicles into the ditch on the south side of the Parkway.
In this case, only a utility pole stopped the delivery truck from ending up in the ditch. Instead, the delivery truck was knocked on its side and ended up partly wrapped around a concrete utility pole, from the force of the collision, its cargo of soda, ice tea, Rice Krispies Treats, potato chips and other junk foods spilling onto the southwest corner of the intersection.
The crash took place just before 5 a.m. when traffic is usually at its lightest in the city. According to a Florida Highway Patrol investigator at the scene, and based on preliminary indications, a Chevy Silverado pick-up truck was driving south on Belle Terre Parkway. The Canteen delivery truck was driving west on the Parkway. One of the two trucks blew through a red light, the investigator said.
The Silverado was damaged on its driver’s side, with its front left and side crushed in, though it looked almost intact on its passenger’s side. The delivery truck was unrecognizable, and ended up facing east, directly opposite the direction it had been traveling. The pick-up truck in the ditch was facing west.
A Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy was first on scene immediately after the crash, as she had been patrolling in the area. She saw the driver of the delivery truck struggle out of the cab of the truck, through the busted out windshield, and directed him to the side of the road to await paramedics. Paramedics stretched a ladder across the ditch to reach the driver of the pick-up, who was lifted out above the ditch and into the area of the CVS pharmacy parking lot before being placed into a Flagler County Fire Rescue ambulance. Both drivers were eventually taken to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach by ambulance. Volusia County’s Air One was in the air, but had to turn around due to fog.
The intersection was closed to traffic, though little traffic was impeded as the morning rush had not begun. The Palm Coast Fire Police directed traffic through nearby access roads. Palm Coast Fire Department personnel stood by well after the crash to ensure that the two tow-truck companies clearing the scene were able to do so safely (John’s Towing was removing the delivery truck, Saxon’s was removing the Chevy pick-up).
To bring the delivery truck back on its wheels, John Rogers of John’s Towing said at the scene, most its cargo had to be emptied, because it was top-heavy, which would delay the salvaging operation. The food it was carrying is a loss.
Identities of the two drivers were not immediately released. Charges are pending against at least one of them.
More images from the scene posting shortly.
Old Lady says
Just another day in Palm Coast
footballen says
This has to be Trump’s fault. Maybe the drivers were protesting.
Hmmm says
That Chevy pickup looks like it was built strong!
Mark101 says
Wow, another wreck another death traffic related. Where is our new Sheriffs game plan, we haven’t heard a peep from him on these traffic deaths. I guess this is going to be typical in Palm Coast going forward. Mr Sheriff what are YOU going to do about it. Speak up
VFW 8696 says
This is the only good argument for red light cameras, they would know who was in the wrong.
Time to wake up people, drive like your lives depend on it, because it does.
Anonymous says
I rip on Chevy trucks a lot, but wow. Chevy-1….Ford-0.
tulip says
IF there is a working traffic camera there, it will show who was at fault. If not, just another consequence of removing the cameras. At least no one was killed. I don’t understand though why the ambulance took them to Halifax hospital, which is much further away than Florida hospital.
Sw says
Many Very important people around this small Town in a big hurry
S.C says
Halifax is a trama center.
BlueJammers says
We don’t have all the facts but this appears as if one or both drivers were texting. No matter what, I hope the drivers pull through ok. Great photos, FlaglerLive.
David S. says
Who wants to be treated at flagler hospital not me !!!!!!!
Fredrick says
Hope everyone is ok… .
I do take issue with a statement in the article. ” its cargo of soda, ice tea, Rice Krispies Treats, potato chips and other junk foods ” some of us to not consider these items “junk food”. Some of those items especially the Rice Krispies Treats are considered a staple. This is also supported by the fact you can purchase them with food stamps.
FlaglerLive says
Frederick, we’re in the business of accuracy (especially in an era of “alternative facts), so we’re not about to put lipstick on junk, whether you can buy it with food stamps, as you accurately noted, or not.
MIKE T says
What the hell is wrong with people. Pay attention for Christ sake.
Anonymous says
Or maybe the traffic lights were malfunctioning…
JimBob says
You, of course, could have CCTV at major intersections for a purpose other than raising revenue for the State and foreign corporations. But I’m just a news monitor.
Anonymous says
This is ridiculous!!!! Why is it every day on Facebook all I ever read are about car accidents in palm coast?! I’m terrified to open up these articles and see a name I know. Palm coast is NOT hard to drive in!!!!! When are people going to learn to be responsible.
Ash says
Halifax is a trauma hospital, Flagler is not.
blondee says
Bring back the red light cameras and idgaf if everyone else is opposed to them.
Fi-Del says
Almost always vehicular accidents in Palm Coast occurs when the roadways are still dark!
This time with no casualty involved in my view was just sheer luck!
Just My 2¢ says
Not all people who have driving licenses know how to drive. Careless, thoughtless, discourteous, and arrogant = Palm Coast drivers.
Whoever Built that ditch... says
Probably Lined it with some pretty powerful Ferrite magnets… Its like a vortex for stray automobiles… I mean the paramedics even carry a ladder around everyday to not get their shoes muddy in their daily chore of cleaning up the days carnage on Palm Coast Parkway…
News Flash… You ever see a town so maddeningly developed? How many times have you Blared your horn at some poor schmuck from out of town who pulled out of a business heading wrong way? Or turned right onto Palmcoast Parkway westbound from Belle Terre (and drove into the magnetic ditch to avoid a head on when they realized something is very wrong here “why are all these automobiles heading at me”?!?!?!?)
Ever try to pull into and out of the Mcdonalds on Belle Terre and PC Pkwy for a quick bite? What ass clown civil engineer designed that corn maze joke of a parking lot? I wont even grab a meal there…
If you live or work around this core corridor of the city daily, you’re taking your life in your own hands, its a mathematical certainty you will one day know the bottom of that ditch.
Cypress says
I have witnessed five (5) instances the past two weeks “red light runners!” We need to bring back the red light cameras! Intersections where those red light runners were; (2) at Highway 100 & Belle Terre, East Hampton & Belle Terre, Cypress Point Parkway & Cypress Edge Drive and Highway 100 & I-95 Ramps. Very dangerous, please pay attention before entering the intersections. Prayers to those who were injured.
Trump train says
It’s Obama’s fault. Remember, everything that goes wrong the next 4 years is Obama’s fault just like he blamed Bush for everything. Oh how the tides have turned…
Shark says
Sheriff’s probably running radar on Florida Park Drive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
W.ryan says
What does red light cameras have to do with anything? Increase the all stop to a longer period of time. Or have police monitor the dangerous intersections. They are the agents of the state that constitutionally are supposed to enforce red lights. These cameras are a form of entrapment that are determined in house with accusatory instruments sent after the fact and not at the scene of an infraction which police do. They serve the summons and the driver knows once he receives it that he has been served, The all stops were designed to give a safer range of time so that accidents do not happen. Cities fraudulently used these cameras as a cash cow to monetize traffic control devices outside of there purpose. Clearly there is a violation once the opposing light turns green but the seconds before are to enable safe passage thru the intersection because everyone has a difference in reaction and judgement plus other extenuating situations, Cameras cause accidents as well and imposes a constitutional issue on it’s citizens with excessive fines with very little room for due process. Wake up and stop that schist, Do your homework and don’t be so free to give your rights away!!!
jadobi says
BlueJammers says:
January 25, 2017 at 9:01 am
We don’t have all the facts but this appears as if one or both drivers were texting….
BlueJammer: Please don’t ever serve as a juror. Your statement… “we don’t have all the facts…”
Then you speculate about texting. Where in the article was that ever mentioned? Why not speculate that someone could have fallen asleep, sneezed or had a medical issue? Maybe one of the trucks had a mechanical issue.
YankeeExPat says
“One of the two trucks blew through a red light, the investigator said.”
Time to bring in the Alternative Truth Squad to make it right!….. It’s the Gombernents Fault….. tellin me how to drive my VeeeHicle!….next thing they will tell y’all, you got get out of the way fer Emergency Veehicles (Them with their Gombernent Plates….(translation “tags” for the Yahoos)
Typical PalmCoaster driving behavior……Don’t move on a Green, and Blow through a RED —- and remember Turn Signals are for Lesbians and Old Yankees.
Born and Raised Here says
This is not helping our car insurance, people.
Jr Def says
@tulip, The reason some trauma patient’s end up at a trauma center and not a regular Emergency Room is because of the severity of the injuries that the paramedics assess on scene and while en route to the hospital. Taking a heavily damaged patient to a non-trauma center can result in overwhelming a hospital that cannot handle that type of patient and result in a bad outcome. Trauma centers save lives. The 20 minutes extra it take to get where the specialists are is better than the shorter ride to Florida Hospital and then having to wait over an hour for a specialist to arrive. And have a staff that does not normally deal with that type of patient.
If the patient is under CPR or has no airway or is not going to make it that far, a medic can make the decision to go to the nearest hospital, stabilize them and then get them to a trauma center.
Agrreable says
I completely agree. No where else in the U.S. do drivers treat a stop light as if its the green light of a drag strip. If you dont floor it the second a light changes the person behind you is honking. I cant tell you the amount of times I am honked at for trying to be a cautious and safe driver.
I/M/O says
In Law Enforcement there is the policy of Selective Enforcement.
Selective Enforcement is when law enforcement pay “Very Special Attention” to an area where accidents and the death rate from accidents is high. You assign Officers to issue as many moving violation tickets, especially for speeding and reckless driving as necessary until you drive the accident and death rate down.
You order your Officers to enforce the traffic laws 100%. No warnings. You get stopped for a violation you get the summons and pay the fines.
I/M/O Sheriff Staly needs to order such a crackdown on Palm Coast Parkway.
Josh says
Cops need to start writing more tickets!
The Truth says
Reading the comments on FlaglerLive is always entertaining. You have the whiners and complainers, the sky is falling, the people who can’t talk about anything but politics and the people who blame the government/city officials.
Accidents happen every day, throughout our country in every community near and far. It’s sad to see, but unfortunately this has and always will be the way of life. I’ve lived in Palm Coast since 1986 and I have seen it change significantly in that time. There are over 90,000 residents so accidents will occur much more often than they did when I first moved here. Thanks to sites like FlaglerLive, we hear about these in real time (almost) where as even 5-10 years ago we had to wait for the paper on Wednesday/Saturday if they even ran a story on it.
Some of you like to over exaggerate these situations far more than you should. Do we need to pay more attention when we’re driving? Of course we do. Everyone does! I see people driving and staring at the phones every single day. That being said, let’s not jump the gone and start pointing the finger at every thing and every one because of every accident. There is a human element involved and no matter how many officers are on the street, no matter where the red light cameras are and no matter who’s our president these things will continue to happen. Be safe and be vigilant when driving in Palm Coast or any where else.
palmcoaster says
I sure agree we need more sheriff surveillance of traffic…in our major roads at least to start with and those tkts! Just to save lives!
Bill says
Cameras at such intersection would let police KNOW who is at fault.
Lou says
The reason for so many accidents is that people are in a rush and don’t care about the other person on the road. Red light cameras only make it worse. All the communities that I am in during the day in Daytona, Deland, Ormond beach all have cameras on the light pole to monitor the traffic. Why don’t we have that here? If we did we could see who ran the red light and who was at fault and if the idiot is still alive after he gets well and he caused a traffic death from his stupidity take his license away and don’t let him drive. All too often the guy at fault lives and is out on the road another day to do the same thing and the innocent suffer the penalty of death and family suffer from grief.
Kris says
This was my step dads chevy. This was a very bad crash. It still has not been made clear who ran the red light. My step dad is now paralyzed from the waist down and may never be able to walk again. I remember my whole life with him. Running around playing baseball with me and my brother. Playing softball with his friends. Now all i see everyday his a man in a chair because some idiot cant pay attention to laws. All i hear about everyday is how he wish he wasnt driving that day. All i can do is pray for his wellness.
loancloser says
It’s awful, I just arrived home from a quick trip to the McDonald’s drive thru (the one on Belle Terre across from Publix) where I sat in line about 20 minutes only to receive cold fries and nuggets..which is par for the course at this McDonald’s anyway. I was crossing Palm Coast Pkwy heading into Indian Trails and I hesitated to look to my right to make sure no one was running the red light, and as I proceeded across, an SUV was heading the wrong way on PC Pkwy and went right in front of my car – it all happened so fast it was like the car literally floated in front of me – if I had been 5 seconds faster on the gas, I would have been T boned. I believe it was the grace of God that saved me and my daughter tonight! I have lived here since 1981 and Palm Coast has gotten so busy and there are so many careless drivers here !