By Steve Heintz of Heintz Law

Palm Beach resident James Montano crashed through the flashing gates and jumped a small gap of an open drawbridge on the Flagler Memorial Bridge in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday, June 28, 2015.  After the event he reportedly told a law enforcement officer that he failed to see that the bridge was opening because he had been distracted by his GPS.  No Kidding - it really happened. And there's a video of the whole thing.

Luckily, Montano was not injured. Officers cited him for reckless driving and the bridge was closed for five hours for repairs.  The accounts of the incident and comments that followed are full of comparisons of Montano's jump to those of the Blues Brothers and Dukes of Hazzard - as well as plenty of jokes about Florida drivers.  But, could it be that these clever comments and jokes are just another form of distraction to avoid acknowledging how serious this accident could have been?  All joking aside, this could have ended much, much worse.

Heintz Law is posting this information to remind everyone of the serious dangers of letting oneself become distracted while behind the wheel and to ask drivers to pull over while using their phones, GPS systems and other devices.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a distracted or impaired driver, the experienced accident attorneys at Heintz Law are available to consult with you about your case and rights to seek financial compensation.  We urge you to contact us for a free analysis of your claim.