After a two car accident with a tractor, seven people were left with minor injuries and one in serious condition.
Originally Life Flight was called in when it was thought that not enough ambulances would arrive on scene fast enough to transport those injured. Life Flight was unable to arrive, but another ambulance was able to transport those injured to local hospitals.
On March 16 around 1:35 p.m. Tamara Bass, 36, of Gulf Breeze was driving eastbound on U.S. Highway 98 behind Charles Smith, 52 of Shalimar. Charles McDaniel, 52 of Columbia, Tenn., was on a John Deere tractor traveling on the south shoulder of U.S. 98 grading the unpaved portion of the shoulder with a grading blade, according to a Florida Highway Patrol media release.
An unknown vehicle in front of Smith stopped on the outside lane of U.S. 98 at the intersection of Sunny Oak Street to allow McDaniel on the tractor to travel through the intersection. Smith stopped for the tractor, but Bass did not stop and struck Smith’s vehicle in the back, completely destroying the back end of the vehicle. Smith’s car was then pushed off the road and onto the shoulder where it struck the grading blade of the tractor, according to the release.
There were four other passengers in Smith’s vehicle. All had minor injuries and were transported to Baptist Hospital, except for Kathy Smith, 58 of Pelham, Ala., who was transported with serious injures, according to the FHP release.
Tamara Bass had a 9 year old with her during the accident. They both reported minor injuries and went to Gulf Breeze Hospital for treatment.
McDaniel also reported minor injuries and was transported to Gulf Breeze Hospital.
According to the release, everyone was wearing seatbelts, except for McDaniel as there were none.