Moments after police, paramedics and fire police converged on a chlorine spill on State Road 100 and Old Kings Road just before 5 p.m. Thursday, a violent wreck involving two cars took place at the opposite end of town, along Palm Harbor Parkway, closing a segment of that road. The wreck sent five people to Florida Hospital Flagler, including three children and an 83-year-old man. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
David Quinn, 83, of Palm Coast, was at the wheel of a 2011 light-tan Ford Fusion. He was driving south on Palm Harbor Parkway. He entered the left turning lane to make a turn onto Cimmaron Drive.
A witness was at the wheel of a vehicle at the stop sign on Cimmaron and Palm Harbor, waiting to make a turn as well. The witness saw the wreck unfold, and described it to a Florida Highway Patrol investigator.
Nicole Castanheira, 33, of Palm Coast was at the wheel of a black BMW sedan, driving north on Palm Harbor Parkway. She was not speeding. With her were a 10-year-old boy, and another boy and a girl, both about 16.
The witness saw Quinn put on his turning signal. Then the witness saw Quinn begin to make the turn even as the BMW was approaching, clearly about th break the BMW’s right-of-way. The witness, the investigator said, “had the presence of mind to put it in reverse when he saw the impending collision.”
The Fusion struck the BMW full-frontal, against the BMW’s front-left (mostly on the driver’s side). Both vehicles’ fronts crumpled. Both catapulted in opposite directions.
Flagler County Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter, was placed on stand-by, but was not needed: it was not a trauma alert. Quinn complained of chest pains after the air bag deployed and struck his chest. One boy’s arm may have been injured in the BMW. Castanheira also may have sustained an arm injury, a trooper said.
With the Palm Coast Fire Police tied up at Old Kings Road, the sheriff’s office provided traffic control, . It was 75 minutes later when the wreck was cleared, with Roger’s Towing taking the vehicles away. Charges are pending against Quinn.
Nancy N. says
This is why I hate driving in this town. I swear I feel some days like my car has a cloak of invisibility around it and the old folks just don’t even see it.
The other day in the Walmart parking lot I was driving up an aisle and some old guy started to back out right as I started to pass behind him. I laid on my horn and slammed on the brakes. He stopped, so I started to go again. Now I’m almost completely behind him. HE STARTS TO BACK OUT AGAIN!!! This time, with me laying on my horn at him the whole time, he doesn’t stop! If I had not had quick enough reflexes to throw it in reverse and back up the aisle out of his way, he would have backed right into the side of my car – with me honking at him the whole time. He was completely oblivious that I was there despite my deafening horn. And that isn’t even the first time that exact same thing has happened to me in a Palm Coast parking lot.
We need tougher laws for assessing older drivers before they hurt someone. Not to mention the money they are costing the rest of us when we just happen to get in their way. I don’t have a spare $500 just lying around to pay for an insurance deductible the next time someone decides to try to back through me in a parking lot and I can’t avoid it.
Realty Check says
Hope everyone is okay, this is a tough one an 83 year old looking right at the oncoming traffic yet still pulls out in front of the vehicle.It maybe time to see if this person needs to still be driving, I think they should start to test after a certin age before they just renew a DL.
hitekrednek says
yep,another old person caused a wreck….good thing the red light cameras work so well……
FL Sunshine says
So glad there were not any life threatening injuries. Could have been worse. Godspeed recovery for all.
Ron says
And what, exactly, did anything with this accident have to do with a red light camera?
Maybe you could blame it on the new FPL Smart meters, too.
Seminole Pride says
Once again we need to mandate driving test every 3 to 5 years for anybody over 70 years old. To many things happen to the human body as you get older.
Nancy N. says
Your sarcasm sensor obviously isn’t working…the commenter was trying to point out that the city is focused on the wrong thing regarding driving safety in this town.
TJ says
I had a an 80 year old neighbor who thought he still had the ability to drive even after being involved in 3 at fault accidents (one major which totaled his car and broke his wife’s neck) in 2 years. After driving with him one day, I told myself that would be the last time I would EVER drive with him. I submitted a form which I found online to the FL Division of Drivers License and informed them that my neighbor should be investigated for his inability to drive. Today, his license is REVOKED and the citizens of Palm Coast are just a little bit safer.
Anyone can do this to anybody, if he or she feels that person should not be operating a vehicle in the State of Florida and is completely immured from Civil Liability. Take action and please get involved, for everyone’s
SAFETY.
BeachLvr84 says
I think it should be annual testing over 75.
Brenndan says
Make it a MANDATORY drivers test for ALL ages every 6 years. I’ve been rear ended by two twenty year old females in the last year, both texting !!!