Over this past weekend, two fatal car accidents took place only a day apart, causing students to become anxious while driving in the streets of their college town.
On Saturday night, it was reported that a white GMC pickup truck crashed into a tree on Fairbanks Ferry Road. The crash was reported to have happened at Owls Hollow Crest at around 8:20 p.m.
The driver of the vehicle was said to be a 34-year-old man who was traveling west and lost control of the truck. He was later pronounced dead due to his serious injuries. The Tallahassee Fire Department confirmed that the man involved was TFD Capt. Brenden Rudy.
TFD said this day was “extremely difficult” and that the Tallahassee Fire Department “suffered a tremendous loss,” as the department stated on its Facebook page.
However, this incident was not the only fatal car accident that took place this past weekend. Just past midnight on Sunday morning, a collision involving two vehicles occurred on Interstate 10 near Thomasville Road.
It was reported that the crash involved a driver traveling eastbound in the westbound lane, which the Florida Highway Patrol had received calls about, and an unlucky westbound driver. This resulted in a head-on collision with both drivers later pronounced dead at the scene.
These two incidents may have been most recent, but were definitely not the only fatal accidents to take place so close to home. In fact, earlier this month, a video of a car crash that happened near Potbelly’s, a popular bar and event venue on College Avenue, went viral on several social media platforms creating tons of buzz from students who were not only familiar with the area, but lived near it as well.
This crash was said to include a car that was fleeing from law enforcement and a pickup truck that was running a red light, which resulted in a brutal T-bone accident between the two vehicles.
While it is not know whether this accident was fatal or not, it is safe to say that this was something worthy of feeling uneasy about.
Janelle Cotton, a third-year accounting student at FAMU, said that hearing about these incidents upset her.
“It’s really sad to see because driving behind the wheel is a responsibility and the fact that someone is not being mindful of what they’re doing is kind of scary,” Cotton said.
Cotton said that these accidents struck a bit of fear in her, prompting her to be more cautious when driving.
“When I go out at night, I’m very mindful now and often want to be the designated driver, especially if I know my friends are going to be having fun,” Cotton said. “I rather just be responsible.”
Ajaelah Bennett, a first-year pharmacy student, already was anxious about driving. These recent accidents have had quite the effect on her.
“I currently don’t drive because of my fear of car accidents, so seeing all of the accidents and videos on social media is really discouraging to me,” Bennett said.
Similar to Cotton, Bennet has implemented a habit or two after witnessing all of the incidents that have recently taken place.
“Since these car accidents, I have become more cognizant of who I get in the car with and whether they are or are with someone who is fully capable or not,” Bennet said.