News Press reports a family traveling from Tampa was involved in a tragic accident on I-75 on Sunday, January 4. While traveling on I-75, the Lopez family's Chevy SUV experienced a rear tire blowout.
When the rear tire blew, the driver lost control of the car and the SUV rolled over the center barrier. Roberto Lopez, a 10-year-old, was ejected from the vehicle and fatally injured.
Roberto Lopez was in the car with his parents Roberto Lopez Sr. and Madelin Nunez. Both were seriously injured in the accident. The family was traveling north on I-75 between the Corkscrew and Alico exits when the crash occurred.
Witnesses including Matthew Rappe, a doctor from Knoxville, Tenn., reported seeing the SUV flip over multiple times before coming to a stop. After the car accident, I-75 southbound lanes were reduced to two lanes for a few hours. Law enforcement officials report that the young boy was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Lee County has been particularly deadly this week. Roberto Lopez's death was one of four fatalities that occurred in auto accidents over the last two days, according to News Press. In addition to Lopez's death, three additional individuals died last weekend.
The pain of parents who have lost a child is immeasurable. At Greg Coleman Law, the wrongful death attorneys in Knoxville have worked with clients dealing with fatal accidents in their families. We have witnessed, firsthand their pain, and we send our deepest condolences to the Lopez family.
If you have any legal questions after a tragic car accident, please contact the personal injury lawyers from our law firm at (865) 247-0080.
