LAKE MARY – 

One of the two people hospitalized after Friday night’s bank robbery crash will not be charged.

Deputies said it began at the Chase Bank on Village Oak Lane after deputies said the getaway car crashed near the westbound Interstate 4 ramp off County Road 46A.

The vehicle only made it about 30 feet away when it collided with another vehicle.

One of the two managed to get out of the car and run away on foot.

However, a witness ran after him and held him there until deputies could arrive.

Those who saw the crash said they had no idea it was tied to a bank robbery.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Jared Studstill, who witnessed the crash. “Actually when I first saw it, I pulled over to kind of help. It’s just instinct to help, but whenever the guy ran across the street with a gun, I was like, yeah, I should probably get back in the car.”

Both people inside the car were hurt in the crash.

The other man will be booked as soon as he is well enough to be transported from the hospital.

latest news: seminole county

Article source: http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2013/5/10/bank_robbery_ends_in

TAMPA – 

A sign being displayed along Interstate-4 Monday morning may have played a role in two multi-car crashes.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, protesters with the group “Tampa Light Brigade” used an electronic sign protesting Tax Day on the U.S. 301 overpass.  They were behind a fence at 6:30 a.m. and positioned along a walkway while displaying their messages to passing traffic on Interstate 4. 

While the sign was there, two separate crashes happened in the westbound lanes of I-4 near Highway 301.

The first crash involved two vehicles and the second crash involved four vehicles. There were only minor injuries but the pileups thwarted westbound traffic past 8 a.m. 

Troopers responded and investigated both crashes, saying multiple drivers told them they saw the protesters and their sign.

Beverly Seiboldt was driving to work at the time.

“They were close to dead stopped. I got rear ended, did my 360, I looked to the left when I stopped, and I saw them still piling up,” she said.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the protestors were in a lawful area behind a fence and not on the interstate itself.  Officials did say that “motorists are required to operate their vehicles in a careful and prudent manner.”

A statement on the group’s Facebook page says:

“Tampa Light Brigade is a group of dedicated activists, modeled after the Overpass Light Brigade, that seeks to use all forms of media to spread new ways of thinking about our relationships, our world, and our future. We hope to reach out to the masses of people who work hard to make this world a better place for all of us and our posterity.”

Protesters displayed a similar sign on the morning of April 3 on I-4 near 301. On that morning, protesters hung a sign saying: “Stop Monsanto GMO Law.”

According to Bay News 9′s partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, on that occassion the sign was in reference to an appropriations bill that Congress recently passed and that President Barack Obama signed.

Article source: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/4/15/signs_to_blame_for_i.html

TAMPA – Drivers who blamed their car crash that tied up traffic on the I-4 for hours near the US-301 on a glowing protest sign will be ticketed, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

From about 5 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, protestors from the group that calls themselves the “Tampa Light Brigade” held up a glowing sign for drivers that read “You paid more taxes than Bank of America.”

At around 6 a.m., FHP says they got reports of two accidents involving six cars under the US-301 overpass.

They say no serious injuries were reported.

But traffic was snarled on I-4 heading into Tampa for hours.

Some drivers told FHP they noticed the sign, and FHP says within Florida Statute, that “those drivers who failed to operate their vehicles in a careful and prudent manner… will be ticketed.”

Not soon after the accident, fingers were being pointed, with one person writing on the Light Brigade’s Facebook wall that they were to blame for the backup.

But at least one supporter of the group wrote on the wall, “don’t let them blame FLB for a driver’s mistake.”

One person who says they were out at the protest, wrote on the wall that they were “exercising their First Amendment Rights.”

The protestors were standing in a protected sidewalk, and not in the road right-of way.

The group has done freeway overpass protests before, but Monday morning was the first instance of car crashes that may have resulted directly from it.

ABC Action news tried reaching out to the group for comment, but we have not heard back from them.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_hillsborough/drivers-at-fault-and-not-protestors-for-early-morning-i-4-crashes

TAMPA (FOX 13) -

A protest sign on I-4 was removed Monday morning after
drivers said it caused two crashes.

The protest was in time with Tax Day. A sign was put up
along the U.S. 301 overpass saying “U
paid more taxes than B of A,” alluding to Bank of America.

There were
two different crashed right underneath the overpass in rush-hour traffic. Six
cars were involved.

The signs
were taken down and the protesters were removed from the area.

Article source: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/21977388/2013/04/15/car-crashes-near-i-4-protest

TAMPA – 

A sign being displayed along Interstate 4 Monday morning may have played a role in two multi-car crashes.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, protesters with an electronic sign were behind a fence at 6:30 a.m. and positioned along a walkway while displaying their messages to passing traffic on Interstate 4.  

While the sign was there, two separate crashes happened in the westbound lanes of I-4 near Highway 301.

The first crash involved two vehicles and the second crash involved four vehicles. There were only minor injuries but the pileups thwarted westbound traffic past 8 a.m.  

Troopers responded and investigated both crashes, saying multiple drivers told them they say the protesters and their sign.

Officials did not say if any protesters or drivers would be cited but added that “motorists are required to operate their vehicles in a careful and prudent manner.”

Protesters displayed a similar sign on the morning of April 3 on I-4 near 301. On that morning, protesters hung a sign saying: “Stop Monsanto GMO Law.”

According to Bay News 9′s partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, the sign was in reference to an appropriations bill that Congress recently passed and that President Barack Obama signed.

Article source: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/4/15/signs_to_blame_for_i.html

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Article source: http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130406/ARTICLES/130409844?Title=Driver-stopped-on-I-4-killed-when-semi-hits-car-bursts-into-flames

March 10, 2013

A Madison County man died early Saturday morning when his motorcycle was struck by another car on a Florida interstate.

Florida troopers said the accident happened on Interstate 4 in Lake Mary around 1:10 a.m. Saturday. Troopers said 42-year-old Keenan Huff of Brightwood was westbound on Interstate 4 when he was struck by a car.

Troopers said Huff was ejected from the bike and was laying in the road when the original driver went into the median, put the car in reverse and took off.

A third car, driven by 45-year-old Rohan Vickramasinghe, swerved to avoid the accident scene and ran over Huff in the road, troopers said.

Troopers want to talk to the register owner of the car that hit Huff and have identified that owner as Victor Eusebio Salinas of Seffner, officials said. Salinas has retained a lawyer and is not yet cooperating with authorities.

Troopers said after the crash, a Lake Mary police officer was the first
responder on scene and when he put his marked patrol car to block off the lanes, another car, driven by 41-year-old Tracey Flood, did not stop and hit the patrol car.

Flood was ticketed for careless driving.

The Lake Mary police officer was not hurt, troopers said.

Article source: http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Madison-Co-Man-Killed-in-Fla-Hit-and-run-196779591.html

LAKE MARY, Fla. –

Florida Highway Patrol troopers are looking for a driver who struck a biker, turned into the median and took off.

Troopers said the accident happened on Interstate 4 in Lake Mary around 1:10 a.m. Saturday.

Troopers said 42-year-old Keenan Huff of Brightwood  Virginia was westbound on Interstate 4 when he was struck by a car.

Troopers said Huff was ejected from the bike and was laying in the road when the original driver went into the median, put the car in reverse and took off.

A third car driven by 45-ear-old Rohan Vickramasinghe swerved to avoid the accident scene and ran over Huff in the road, troopers said.

Troopers said Huff was found about a half mile from where the original accident happened.

Troopers want to talk to the register owner of the car that hit Huff and have identified that owner as Victor Eusebio Salinas of Seffner, officials said.

Troopers are asking anyone who may know Salinas to contact the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said after the crash, a Lake Mary police officer was the first responder on scene and when he put his marked patrol car to block off the lanes, another car, driven by 41-year-old Tracey Flood, did not stop and hit the patrol car.

Flood  was ticketed for careless driving, troopers said.

The Lake Mary police officer was not hurt, troopers said.

Article source: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Biker-struck-killed-on-I-4/-/1637132/19257100/-/33mcc7/-/index.html

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that had Interstate 4 westbound shut down Sunday morning for almost eight hours.

Lake Mary police were the first at the scene of the motorcycle accident around 1 a.m. Sunday. It is still unclear how the motorcyclist crashed, but the driver has died.

During the investigation a Lake Mary patrol car was struck by another vehicle heading westbound on I-4.

FHP is expected to release more details Sunday afternoon.

Article source: http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/fatal-motorcycle-accident-shuts-down-i-4-lake-mary/nWnNS/

Florida Highway Patrol reports say Rachel Wallace, 19, of Mulberry, was driving west in a 2000 Kia Sportage when the left rear tire blew out, causing her to lose control. The SUV went into the center median, flipped and crossed over the center guardrail before resting upside down in the median.

Two passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Wallace and her five passengers were taken to local hospitals in serious condition. The passengers were Jesse Woods III, 16, and Jabari Woods, 15, both of Bartow; Donnell R. Smith, 1, of Mulberry; Madeline Florance, 38, of Temple Terrace; and Donnell Devonte Smith, 18, of Lakeland.

FHP reports say no one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.

Article source: http://www.theledger.com/article/20130302/NEWS/130309876