The Human Toll
A St. Petersburg Times analysis shows that at least 41 people have been killed in Florida since 1997 in accidents involving sport utility vehicles equipped with Firestone tires. The accidents had uncanny similarities: A rear tire fell apart, causing the vehicle to roll, frequently several times. Most crashes occurred on highways on warm, sunny days.
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James E. Brown, 27, of Plant City Accident: 9:10 p.m. 1/17/00 on I-10 in Leon
Speed: 76 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Brown was driver , no passengers
Legal status: Sued both, settled with Ford
Chiquita Stanfield, 13 , of Jacksonville
Accident: 10:40 a.m. 6/18/00 on I-95 in St. Johns
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled)
One of nine people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
William E. Touchton Jr., 47, of Jacksonville
Accident: 4:10 p.m. 7/3/00 on I-95 in Nassau
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tire: AT (recalled)
One of four people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Athena M. Lingenfelser, 10, of Jacksonville
Accident: 9:30 a.m. 11/20/99 on State Road 202 in Duval
Speed: 60 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
One of two people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Shirley Y. Nelson, 40 , of Jacksonville
Accident: 3:20 p.m. 8/2/00 on I-295 in Duval
Speed: 85 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: AT (unknown if recalled)
One of three people in vehicle
Legal status: Did not sue
Fannie M. Williams, 40, of Middleburg
Accident: 11:30 a.m. 5/12/99 on I-295 in Duval
Speed: 65 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled)
One of two people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Luz Gaetan Class, 48, of Orlando
Accident: 3:55 p.m. 1/11/00 on I-95 in Flagler
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
One of six people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Nicholas A. Rowan, 20, of Titusville
Accident: 5:05 p.m. 2/19/99 on I-95 in Brevard
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: FR480 (not recalled)
Vehicle: 1989 Ford Bronco II
Rowan was driver, no passenger s
Legal status: Sued both
Blaine C. Webb, 31, of Cocoa
Accident: 3:15 p.m. 12/13/99 on I-95 in Brevard
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Webb was driver, no passenger s
Legal status: Sued both, settled with Ford
Patricia F. Hermanspan, 68, of Palm Bay
Accident: 5:59 p.m. 4/29/00 on I-95 in Brevard
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Hermanspan was driver, no passenger s
Legal status: Sued both
Chaaya Jagasia, 47, Pankaj R. Jagasia, 23,
Mike Nainani, 58 , all of Miami
Accident: 4:25 p.m. 7/30/99 on Florida’s Turnpike in Osceola
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: AT (not recalled)
Three of five people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both, settled with both
Margaret F. Labib, 42, and Andrew Labib, 9, of Indialantic
Accident: 10:10 p.m. 10/1/99 on I-95 in Brevard
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Two of seven people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both, settled with both
Patrick D. Query, 27, of Stuart
Accident: 5 p.m. 7/25/99 on I-95 in Brevard
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Query was driver, no passenger s
Legal status: Sued both
Carrie B. McCray, 50, of Tallahassee
Accident: 3:45 a.m. 1/23/99
on Florida’s Turnpike in Osceola
Speed: 70 mph Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled) McCray was driver,
three passengers Legal status: Sued both
John R. Smith Jr., 56, of Longwood
Accident: 9:15 p.m. 4/30/98 on Florida’s
Turnpike in Indian River Speed: 70 mph Seat belt: No
Tires: Unknown
Smith was driver, no passengers
Legal status: Sued Firestone
Edelio Herrera, 51, and Norma Herrera, 52, of Fort Lauderdale
Accident: 8:07 p.m.
5/28/00 on Florida’s Turnpike in Martin
Speed: 70 mph S
eatbelt: No
Tires: AT (recalled)
Mr. Herrera was driver, Mrs. Herrera was one of four passengers
Legal status: Did not sue
Jose A. Fernandez, 36, and
Emma T. Fernandez, 2 days both of Coral Springs
Accident: 6:35 p.m. 5/23/99 on Florida’s Turnpike in Palm Beach
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Fernandez was driver, two passengers
Legal status: Sued both
Luzmila Garzon, 49, of Miami
Accident: 12:36 p.m. 2/13/00 on Florida’s Turnpike in Palm Beach
Speed: 80 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: AT (not recalled)
One of four people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both, settled with both
Alexander Sagrista, 2, of Apopka
Accident: 2 a.m. 11/23/99 on Florida’s Turnpike in Martin
Speed: 80 mph
Childseat: Yes
Tires: AT (not recalled)
One of five people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
William Ramirez, 29, of Hialeah
Accident: 8:12 a.m. 6/14/00 on I-75 in Broward
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Ramirez was driver, no passengers
Legal status: Sued both
Jose M. Santana, 26, of Coral Gables
Accident: 9:08 p.m. 9/11/99 on I-75 in Broward
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Santana was driver, one passenger
Legal status: Sued both
Amelia Izquierdo, 86, of Pembroke Pines
Accident: 5:10 p.m. 7/9/99 on I-75 in Collier
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: ATX (recalled)
One of five people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Jean M. Sterile, 48, of Fort Myers
Accident: 3:50 p.m. 2/18/99 on I-75 in Collier
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Sterile was driver, five passengers
Legal status: Did not sue
Kirsten P. Kent, 20, of Sarasota
Accident: 2:55 p.m. 1/1/00 on I-75 in Lee
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: AT (not recalled)
Vehicle: 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
One of two people in vehicle
Legal status: Settled with both
David K. Nisbett, 19, of Clearwater
Accident: 7:30 p.m. 6/9/00 on I-75 in Sarasota
Speed: 70-75 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: AT (recalled)
One of five people in vehicle
Legal status: Did not sue
Kevin M. Martin, 35, of Fort Myers
Accident: 6:33 p.m. 4/22/00 on I-75 in Sarasota
Speed: 75-80 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: AT (recalled)
Martin was driver, four passengers
Legal status: Sued both, settled with Firestone
Claire S. Kantor, 19, of North Miami
Accident: 4 p.m. 3/5/00 on I-75 in Manatee
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: RS4 (not recalled)
Vehicle: 1998 GMC Suburban
One of five people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued Firestone
Elizabeth C. Herman, 18, of Sarasota
Accident: 3:10 p.m. 7/24/97 on I-75 in Hillsborough
Speed: 75 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: FR480 (not recalled)
Vehicle: 1990 Ford Bronco II
One of four people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both, settled with both
Aaron B. Reeves Jr., 57, of Kissimmee
Accident: 3:45 a.m. 3/20/00
on Boggy Creek Road near Orlando in Orange
Speed: 55 mph
Seat belt: No
Tires: ATX (recalled)
Reeves was driver , no passengers
Legal status: Unknown
Jennifer E. Martin, 21, of Huntsville, Ala.
Accident: 9:49 a.m. 6/14/98 on Florida’s Turnpike in Orange
Speed: 65 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: FR480 (not recalled)
Vehicle: 1988 Ford Bronco II
One of two people in vehicle
Legal status: Sued both
Darrell A. Scott, 32, of Muldraugh, Ky.
Accident: 6:05 p.m. 6/9/00 on Florida’s Turnpike in Sumter
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tire: ATX (recalled)
Scott was driver, three passengers
Legal status: Sued both
Richard J. Niehaus, 83, of Cincinnati
Accident: 4:18 p.m. 2/20/00 on I-75 in Alachua
Speed: 70 mph
Seat belt: Yes
Tires: AT (not recalled)
Niehaus was driver , no passengers
Legal status: Did not sue, settled with Ford
Research and graphic by Anita Kumar, Kitty Bennett and Jeff Goertzen of the Times
Note: Four of the 41 victims are not accounted for in this list because details of their accidents were not available. Unless otherwise noted, all accidents involved Ford Explorers. Twenty-two accidents involved tires later recalled by Firestone. Nine accidents involved tires that have not been recalled. It is unknown if the tires involved in the five remaining accidents were recalled. In most cases, victims’ families sued both Ford and Firestone, as indicated on the map.
Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, lawsuits and other court documents, newspaper reports, interviews with attorneys, victims and consumer groups. Map reproduced with permission by ©AAA
