Last Updated: 4 p.m.
A Palm Coast pick-up truck belonging to the city’s public works department collided with a Toyota Corolla belonging to Faith Driving School on Red Mill Drive in Palm Coast, injuring at least one person, who was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler.
The collision took place just after 11 a.m. immediately north of the intersection with Regency Drive, along a stretch of uninhabited, very lightly trafficked road road. Red Mill is a U-shaped loop at the far west end of the R Section that extends from two points on Rymfire Drive. It’s not yet clear what caused the collision, which is being investigated by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The city’s truck was driven by Gary LaLima. Faith Driving School is registered at South 6th Street in Flagler Beach and owned by Hugh Pasqual.
The city’s Ford F-150’s front-right was smashed against the Corolla’s rear-left. The Corolla’s back windshield had shattered. Its rear bumper had been pried loose. The Corolla was on the side of the road, its right wheels grazing the grassy shoulder. The city truck was a few feet inside the road. There appeared to be no tire tread marks behind either vehicle, suggesting that sudden breaking or swerving had not preceded the collision.
Pasqual, 71, was in the passenger seat of the Faith Driving School’s Corolla, with Bonaventuro Laudano, 80, at the wheel. According to the preliminary sheriff’s office investigation issued later this afternoon, the Corolla was stopped in the edge of Red Mill with its flashers on while Pasqual was verbally instructing Laudano on how to conduct a certain maneuver. At that point, the F-150 crashed into the Corolla. LaLima said his computer had come off its mount and he was reaching over to fix it when the crash occurred.
LaLima was cited for careless driving. He complained of pain in his neck, chest and arm area, and was transported to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Four other Palm Coast city trucks converged on the scene, as did three units of the sheriff’s office, including an unmarked unit. That segment of Red Mill was shut down for until Roger’s Towing removed the vehicles. The Palm Coast Fire Department’s Ladder 25 and a Flagler County Fire Rescue unit also responded to the scene.
I.M. Agoste says
I’m glad Mr Pasqual (a very decent man) and his student were unharmed.
Alex says
I am so glad that no Red Light Camera was involved.
Riley says
Gary must have been out checking water in the swales. I think they recently regraded the swales, for the third time in five years, in this area. Palm Coast’s swales are graded so water flows up hill, or so it seems.
Geezer says
Hit from the rear,
What to do?
Lick your wounds,
Call your lawyer,
It’s time to sue!
Getting hit in the rear can be shitty,
So turn those lemons into lemonade
And sue the city!
Merry Christmas.
-Geezer
Dave says
With the price of fuel I wonder why the city of Palm Coast used the latter truck to respond to a M.V.A,
Diego Miller says
Immediate safety bulletin to all Palm Coast computerized personnel, with computers in truck. Stop truck and pull over to a safe area before trying to fix computer, otherwise crash may occur. Safety is no accident. I think due to budget cutbacks except for the white collar docker boys, Palm Coast has not invested any money in employee training. Every time I drive by one of their work zones I can spot dozens of potential liability issues. Have all Palm Coast workers been certified by the DOT in work zone traffic set ups? Not from what I have seen.
Umm says
Seriously Dave?!? That LADDER truck responds to all emergencies within its zone. Tis better to have and not need than need and not have. No only is the ladder life saving apparatus but the men on it are extra helping hands. Instead of questioning and bashing the ladder on the scene, thank a firefighter!! One day, you may need that ladder truck and those men.
If you want to bi**h about money, how about questioning the never ending road construction around Palm Coast, the re-grading of the Swales 3 times in 5 years, the purpose of landscaping the Swales of Belle Terre with saw grass, or my personal favorite: the street sweeper (yes, street sweeper, like you’d find in the streets of a major city) that drives Palm Coast Parkway everyday (sweeping up what? Leaves?)
confidential says
I have witnessed several times cars of this driver school making dangerous maneuvers not only in the public road but also in malls parking lots endangering our customers and other drivers coming to our stores that have complained to us. Several years ago when I addressed the instructor in the car he reacted in a very rude way vociferous, “that it was his right as per the law to use our mall parking lot for his students to practice!”
Fifty five years ago when I learned how to drive had to do it in a designated drivers school area closed to traffic and only after the road test exam with the officer in my car was given satisfactory and in the public road for the first time, I was allowed then to drive in the roads. But was that was then and maybe we need to use it, as a as a good example.
If I am driving anywhere around here and have to stop for any reason other than mechanical failure, I would never stop at the edge of this narrow roads, no way! I will pull over to the grassy shoulder away from the traffic and stop there, not to pose a danger to the drivers school vehicle occupants or any incoming traffic!! Lets not only blame the city driver! I don’t know about the Florida laws regarding these driving schools but practice should be done in an area designated closed to public traffic until the student knows what he/she is really doing.
Meanwhile all these years as a city resident while at the steering wheel, if I see a driving school vehicle on the road I always make sure I keep plenty of distance as I believe they pose a real danger, as this editorial shows. City ordinace should be created to regulate these schools for its residents sake and safety.
confidential says
By the way is obvious by the excellent photo provided here, that the school car was parked/stop/whatever in the road posing a danger to incoming traffic. Not very common sense utilized by the instructor …imagine what will happen if this 80 year old student learns to use the same parking/stop in the road approach in his/her daily driving routine…? She will pose a danger to us all. Are driving schools exempted of vehicular road sharing laws as we do or “maybe they own our roads”.
dave says
Serious Umm, you proved my point very well, Palm Coast has more than it’s share of smaller engines that do indeed use less fuel so why would they respond with something as big and heavy suck as a LADDER truck which by the way is designed to fight structure fires and not work a MVA, sure it can be set up for that but still yet that is Not what it meant for, By the way you sound like you have plenty more Bi**hing about the wastefulness of tax dollars than I ever dreamed of , Have a great day and smile it away : )
Gia says
No matter what it’s a rear end collision + you see a “school driving car” Pick up driver must expect the unexpected. That is fault.