Florida, like many states, allows teens who are at least 15 years of age to get a learner’s permit license. To get a valid driver’s license, the teen must be 16 years old and have had a learner’s permit for at least a year or reach 18 years of age, whichever comes first. Once they obtain a driver’s license, they have nighttime driving restrictions until they reach 18. They also cannot have had a moving violation while they had their learner’s permit and must complete 50 hours of driving time, 10 hours of which must be at night.
WTXL reports that a teen driver was killed in a four-vehicle accident after failing to yield at an intersection.
A 15-year-old Eastpoint girl was killed after she failed to yield at an intersection in Franklin County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on Monday at the intersection of US-98 and State Road 45 just after 3 p.m.
The girl, who was driving a Toyota RAV4 was headed south on State Road 65. As she approached the intersection with US-98, a dump truck was traveling west on US-98 approaching the same intersection.
The 15-year-old reduced her speed to make a left turn onto US-98 and pulled into the path of the dump truck. The dump truck collided with the driver’s side of the RAV4. This pushed the RAV4 in front of a Ford F-250.
The F-250 began to spin, which caused it to hit a Land Rover, which then hit a tree. The dump truck continued pushing the RAV4 until the vehicle was on its side. The FHP said that the RAV4 became engulfed in flames.
The fire was quickly extinguished, but the 15-year-old girl, whose name is being withheld, died at the scene.
Alcohol was not thought to be a factor and charges are pending a Traffic Homicide investigation.