Florida Highway Patrol Releases Statement After Man Falls Out of Car

EUREKA, FL- The nypost.com reported on Monday, April 23, 2018, that a 20-year-old driver died after crashing his car on a bridge that spans over the Ocklawaha River near Silver Springs, Florida. The deceased man was identified by FHP as Chad Lee Melnyk. The man hit a railing while driving on the State Road 40 bridge.

Melnyk appears to have climbed through the driver side window of the vehicle and fell over the guardrail, dropping 70 feet to the ground below.

Melnyk was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Authorities did not release the cause of the accident.

Another Florida driver drove his Camaro convertible through a guardrail last Thursday morning and fell 50 feet to the road below. The driver of that vehicle survived the horrific accident. The driver of the Camaro stated that the accident was the result of distracted driving. He was apparently focused on the radio when he realized he had taken his vehicle onto the shoulder. By the time he noticed his mistake, he was unable to correct and went right over the side. The driver stated that he thought he was going to die, and that he only survived the collision because he wore his seatbelt.

Distracted driving is a dangerous practice that includes driving while not focusing on the road. Changing the radio station is one way a driver can be distracted, but in the modern age, more accidents are caused by individuals who are looking at their smartphones, texting, making phone calls, or using their device for navigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that 3,450 people were killed as a result of distracted drivers in 2016.

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