On May 5, 2017, I left my home at 126 Buccaneer Drive, in Leesburg headed for Winter Park.
The Florida Turnpike Southbound from Leesburg changes from two-lanes [EXHIBIT ___] to four lanes [EXHIBIT ___] to six lanes [EXHIBIT ___].
At 2:35 pm on May 5, 2017, I was driving my white 2006 Pontiac Solstice convertible Southbound on the Florida Turnpike about half a mile from Exit 265. I was driving about 65 miles-per-hour in the middle of my lane. I was going to Winter Park, and I prepared to exit at 265. I had signaled and moved to the right when my GPS told me the exit was coming up. [The police report says the accident was reported at 2:36 pm.]
I was in the second lane from the shoulder, one of the two marked exit lanes. The Highway Patrol numbers lanes starting at the median, so I was in their Lane 5. I was going to go to the left after exiting, so I positioned myself in the second lane.
I heard a loud bang and felt the impact as an 18-wheeler rammed into the left side of my car. The car began spinning out of control. Four 360-degree spins were confirmed by an eyewitness, Carrie Broussard. I believe I spun as many as 8 times. I tried to keep the car from hitting the big cement barricades in the median. I was afraid I was going to flip at one point – felt like my two left wheels left the ground. By steering into the skid, I was able to regain control of the car. I believe the engine had quit working because I coasted across perhaps one lane of traffic.
There were cars stopped behind me. No one got out to help me, and I didn’t think to flag anyone down as a witness. I went 69 years without ever being in a wreck, so I was unprepared and apparently in shock. [EXHIBIT ___.]
I saw the truck pull over about a quarter of a mile ahead of me, well before Exit 265. I thought he might not stop. I don’t believe there was any reason for him to drive that far unless he just wanted to make it unlikely that I would inspect his vehicle.
On 5/5/2017, Robert Longest, the truck driver, told Trooper Linzmayer that he was in the right lane closest to the shoulder. I heard him say this as he stood outside my wrecked car. The story has changed many times.
On 5/8/2017, Robert Longest made an Accident Report to his employer, Boise Cascade, that shows he was in the right lane closest to the shoulder and I was just to his left. [EXHIBIT ___.] His Report falsely identifies where he was on the Turnpike. His fraudulent drawing shows that my car’s right front impacted with his truck’s left front as both vehicles drove in the same direction. His drawing falsely shows both of us exiting the Turnpike. Neither of us exited. His report says: “Couldn’t see the vehicle.” His Report falsely indicates my vehicle was not towed from the scene. His Report claims that he never saw me in his rearview mirrors; that story later changed. He reported that once he pulled over, he saw my white car 1/4 to ½ mile behind him. His Report claims he checked on me and then called Chris Johnson, but this is not what the phone records show. His Accident Report says:
“I was driving Southbound on Turnpike just before merging on 408 and I heard a boom (I thought was a blowout.) I looked in the mirrors and see nothing so I put my turn signal on to pull over and I did see a white car about ¼ to ½ mile behind me. I got out and checked on the driver and called Chris Johnson.” [EXHIBIT ___.]
The Report says the accident took place on a curve, but that is false. It was straight. [EXHIBIT ____.] The Report says Longest was driving 60, but Trooper Linzmayer and I say he was driving 70. The Report was signed by Robert Longest and Wayne Laster. Wayne Laster wasn’t there, so I don’t know how he could sign this false report.
On August 8, 2017, a trial was held on the citation that I received from Trooper Linzmayer. It was held in Ocoee, Florida. The case was dismissed by Orange County Judge Elizabeth Starr. Trooper Linzmayer testified that he did not witness the accident. He saw my car on the shoulder with damage to the left front. He saw the 18-wheeler ahead.
The truck driver, Robert Longest, testified on 8/8/2017 that he felt something, but never saw me. He said he then saw me spinning out of control in his left rearview mirror. He claimed there was damage to the left front of his truck. He said my car was really low and he never saw me. He said he called 911 and then headed back to check on me.
Robert Longest apparently lied about calling 911. The Highway Patrol has no record of a call from Robert Longest. And Robert Longest lied when he claimed he saw me spinning out of control in his rearview mirror. That is not what he told his employer on 5/8/2017 or stated in his deposition on 2/5/2019.
Liars have trouble keeping their stories straight. WebMD says:
“When someone isn’t telling the truth, it’s harder to keep the details of their story straight. Someone who lies frequently will eventually lose track of previous lies and start to contradict themselves.”
On cross-examination, Longest confirmed that he didn’t see me at all and didn’t know for sure what happened. He also admitted that it was possible that he was in the third lane from the right (where I say he was).
I asked Longest if he saw the accident report that showed I was traveling Northbound on the Southbound lane. He had no explanation for how the Trooper’s version could be accurate since he testified he never saw me.
Robert Longest gave a sworn deposition on 2/5/2019. I will now cite from his deposition so he can tell you what he claimed happened on 5/5/2017.
Page 19:
10 A. I was coming up — I was going to merge onto
11 the 408 and go east. I was not there yet, but I was in
12 the two lanes — there’s like six lanes across there.
13 And the two lanes to the right merge onto the 408. And
14 I was in the second lane getting ready to merge onto the
15 408 when — do you want me to explain what exactly
16 happened —
17 Q. Yeah.
18 A. — from that point —
19 Q. Yes.
20 A. — until I stopped?
21 Q. Yep.
22 A. Okay. I felt like a jolt on the truck and then
23 I felt a vibration, you know, in the whole cab of the
24 truck. And my first thought was I’m — it felt like a
25 tire coming apart, like maybe my front steer tire was –
Page 20:
1 that’s what I’m thinking, you know, my tire’s coming
2 apart, I’m going to have a blowout, is what it felt
3 like.
4 So then I felt the wheel a little bit, of
5 shaking the wheel. And as all this was happening, I’m
6 looking in the passenger mirror and I turned my turn
7 signal on to get off of the highway into the emergency
8 lane because, like I said, I think I’m having a blowout,
9 so I’m pulling over.
10 So as I pull over, now, I don’t see any cars
11 anywhere. I pull onto the emergency lane and I’m almost
12 stopped and I look in the driver’s mirror and there’s a
13 car quite a ways back behind me and he’s like spun out
14 in the highway back there, stopped. So I was
15 wondering what — you know, I thought to myself, I
16 wonder what that guy’s doing.
17 So I get out. I look at my tire and there’s
18 actually damage on it. It’s leaking oil where the cap
19 in the center of the rim was broken out and there’s
20 white paint on the lug nuts where something had hit
21 there.
22 And at that point, I’m thinking the guy back
23 there or the car back there must have hit there and
24 that’s what I felt. So at that time, I dialed 911 and I
25 started jogging back to that car.
Page 21:
1 Q. What tire was it that you saw damage to?
2 A. The driver’s side front.
3 Q. Any other part of the truck that had visible
4 damage that you saw?
5 A. There was. The bumper on the passenger side
6 was bent out. It wasn’t actually bent out, but it was
7 curled out. And I couldn’t figure out what did that
8 because I didn’t hit anything on — you know, when I
9 pulled over. There was nothing hit there.
10 So I was wondering — and I just glimpsed — I
11 got a glimpse of that right at the end. After all the
12 police and everything, I had just glanced at that.
13 Now, my boss had showed up at the scene and
14 Mr. Windsor — now, I walked — I went back to him, to
15 his car. By that time, he had pulled into the emergency
16 lane. He was on the phone. His windows were still up.
17 I motioned for him to put his window down. I asked him
18 if he was all right. He said yes. He asked me if I was
19 all right. I said yes.
20 I said what happened? Where did you come from?
21 And he says I have no idea. He says I never saw you.
22 And I said really?
23 And about that time, this officer — I think he
24 just happened to be driving by because he was there
25 right away. He came up, asked us if we were all right
Page 22:
1 Yes. Asked what happened. I said I have no idea what
2 happened. I said I never saw this car.
3 And he asked him what happened. He says I have
4 no idea what happened. He said I never saw that truck.
5 So he goes are you telling me you guys were
6 involved in an accident and neither one of you-all know
7 what happened? And I said it really sounds stupid, but
8 no, I don’t know what happened. And he didn’t either.
9 So he told me to go back to my vehicle, which I
10 did, and then he did his investigation and whatever he
11 did. And then he came back up. And I couldn’t drive my
12 truck because of the leaking oil out of the front and so
13 they had to tow that.
14 And then the officer told me he was giving him
15 a citation and I don’t remember what that was, but he
16 was getting a ticket, and I guess, you know, told us
17 pretty much we could go.
18 Q. What — you said your boss showed up. What’s
19 his name?
20 A. Chris Mello.
21 Q. How do you spell the last name?
22 A. M-e-l-l-o.
23 Q. How long did it take for your boss to arrive on
24 the scene?
25 A. I wasn’t far from my work. He was — I don’t
Page 23:
1 know — maybe 15 minutes.
2 Q. You had called him right after the incident?
3 A. I believe I did.
4 Q. Did he speak with —
5 A. I don’t think I called him. I called the
6 dispatch boss, which is kind of my boss. I believe I
7 told him what had happened, I’ve been involved in an
8 accident, and I believe maybe he may have told him.
9 Q. Who is the dispatch boss?
10 A. Chris Johnson.
11 Q. So you phoned Mr. Johnson and he most likely
12 told Mr. Mello?
13 A. I believe that’s how it went.
14 Q. Do you remember what you said to them or to
15 Mr. Johnson?
16 A. I believe I just said I was involved in an
17 accident and told him where I was. And he said okay, do
18 what you’ve got to do, you know, blah, blah, blah, and
19 just letting him know what was going on.
20 Q. Did they say — did any of them say that they
21 were going to come to the scene of the accident?
22 A. No. No. I didn’t know anybody was coming.
Page 25:
11 Q. How long were you at the scene for?
12 A. Maybe 35, 45 minutes.
13 Q. Did anybody else show up or arrive on the scene
14 while you were there?
15 A. No — well, maybe the paramedics and maybe an
16 ambulance because I had told the dispatch lady at the
17 911. She said is there anyone injured? And I said —
18 at that point, I had not been back there. I said I
19 don’t know. I said but I would think — it’s a small
20 car and I’m in an 18-wheeler, so, you know, I don’t
21 know. It’s possible. So I think she said she was just
22 sending everybody.
Page 28:
6 Q. Sure.
7 At any point did you notice the white vehicle
8 prior to the impact or what you thought was a tire
9 blowout?
10 A. I did not. I did not.
11 Q. Do you know what the speed was on the turnpike
12 in the area that the incident happened?
13 A. I’m assuming 60 — probably 70. Most of the
14 turnpike is 70.
15 Q. Can you estimate what speed you had been going
16 prior to impact?
17 A. I’m guessing between 50 and 60. Like I said, I
18 wasn’t up to the ramp yet. The ramp is 45, but I
19 wasn’t — we weren’t that far up. We were back still on
20 the turnpike when all that happened. So yeah, it was —
21 it was probably 70 there.
Page 31:
7 Q. Were there any dangerous conditions in that
8 area, like construction or anything that —
9 A. No.
10 Q. — you might deem hazardous?
11 Do you know what lane William Windsor was in
12 prior to the impact?
13 A. I don’t. I have a lot of assumptions from what
14 the damage — you know, I have a good idea what
15 happened, but that would be — you know, like I said, I
16 didn’t see him, so I just — from the damage and the way
17 everything happened, I’m pretty sure I know what
18 happened, but that was — that would be an assumption.
19 Q. How do you think the accident occurred?
20 A. I think — I think he was — the way my bumper
21 was bent out, there was forward — I think he was — I
22 think he wanted to stay on the turnpike. That would be
23 the only reason he would be changing lanes there. And
24 he was in the two lanes that go onto the 408, so I think
25 he was just going to go up and cut in front of me and go
Page 32:
1 over and stay on the turnpike is what I’m just — that’s
2 just what I’m thinking.
3 But he didn’t — he misjudged it. He clipped
4 my bumper, which would bend my bumper exactly the way it
5 was bent, then wrapped around the front of my truck.
6 The vibration I felt I think was me pushing him. And
7 I’m up so high and he’s down so low in the little sports
8 car, I didn’t see him right down in front because of the
9 hood, and I think he wrapped on around to the driver’s
10 side.
11 When I was looking in the mirror to pull over,
12 I think he wrapped around this way and my lug nuts and
13 that tire the — hit his car and did all that — because
14 there’s damage on his driver’s side, which, you know, I
15 mean, there’s damage on my driver’s side and damage on
16 his driver’s side. So it would be like we would have to
17 be going opposite directions to get damage on both of
18 those sides. And then he went spinning off over where
19 he ended up as I pulled over.
20 That’s really the only way I can see that —
21 all that taking place and happening, with that damage on
22 the truck, you know, because there’s nothing that hit
23 the bumper on that side. There was nothing that could
24 have hit that. There was nothing there. When I pulled
25 over, there was — you know, I just pulled over. So he
Page 33:
1 had to clip — something had to clip that bumper.
2 Q. Have you seen the police report in this
3 accident?
4 A. I think I did.
5 Q. Do you agree with its contents?
6 MR. HYLAND: Objection to form. You can go
7 ahead and answer. I’m just objecting for the
8 record.
9 THE WITNESS: Yeah. I don’t — I think that
10 was a — was that a police report, Bill?
11 MR. HYLAND: I can’t answer for you, just on
12 your own.
13 BY MS. LASO:
14 Q. Just so you know, I cannot know — I don’t want
15 to know about anything you might have spoken with your
16 attorney or law firm or anything —
17 A. Okay. I think I did see it.
18 Q. Okay.
19 A. And it — I believe — see, at that time,
20 nobody — you know, nobody knew what happened, so I
21 don’t know. I think the report had him hitting my — on
22 this side that was hit, but I don’t think anybody knows
23 how he hit or, like I said, I don’t know how he got
24 damage on his driver’s side if he hit on — he would
25 have had to hit me on the passenger side. Do you
Page 34:
1 understand what I’m saying?
2 If he had just run into that tire, it would
3 have just hit — you know, if he was just passing me or
4 something and just hit me, there wouldn’t be any damage
5 over on this side of his car.
6 So I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, I
7 don’t know if he — they thought he might have spun out
8 and hit me there. I don’t have a clue how they
9 determined anything they determined.
10 Q. And just remind me. I might have already asked
11 you. There were two lanes to get onto the 408. Were
12 you on the furthest right or the —
13 A. The second.
14 Q. I guess closest to the turnpike?
15 A. Well, yes. Yes. I was in — not the right.
16 Q. The left —
17 A. Yes.
18 Q. — merge lane?
19 A. Yes.
23 Q. I wanted to ask you about the — you mentioned
24 the hood of the truck. When you’re driving, typically
25 can you see — is it difficult to see what’s in front –
Page 35:
1 A. Yes.
2 Q. — of you?
3 A. Right down — right down in front of the truck,
4 yes, it’s difficult. Now, you have mirrors out there,
5 but they kind of show down the sides of the truck. And
6 depending — you know, like I said, I’m probably ten
7 feet in the air up.
8 And, you know, the seat, depending on where
9 your seat is on the height — now, if you’re all the way
10 up against the roof, which, you know, nobody — you
11 don’t drive that way, you could probably look way down
12 there and see it.
13 But when you’re driving, just driving normally
14 on an air ride seat, it’s kind of like in the middle,
15 you know, where you’re comfortable and your vision, you
16 can see down the road. But it’s difficult to see down
17 right in front of the truck. And the hood — the hood
18 sticks out, so you have that obstacle as well.
19 Q. So it’s hard to see right in front of the
20 truck?
21 A. Yes.
22 Q. Do you know how many feet might be obscured or
23 difficult to see?
24 A. I don’t.
25 Q. Can you see to the left or the right of the
Page 36:
truck?
2 A. I mean, yeah, you can see, but there’s a little
3 zone there that — usually there’s no vehicles in that
4 zone because it’s right up against the truck. I mean,
5 you would — there would never be anybody — you would
6 never be that close to anybody in that zone.
7 Q. If there was a vehicle to the left of your
8 truck, let’s say the left lane, you’re in the right
9 lane, would you be able to see that vehicle?
10 A. Yes. Yeah, there’s a mirror — there’s mirrors
11 for that. There’s also mirror on a door over here that
12 shines down. Like, the window on that particular truck
13 goes down where you can actually see — like a lot of
14 trucks, it will be straight on that door and there’s
15 like a blind spot there.
16 Well, that truck has the — it’s cut out. I
17 guess they probably cut it out for that reason because
18 there was a blind spot there, so it’s cut out there to
19 where you can see over there. And —
20 MR. HYLAND: Are you talking about on the
21 driver’s side?
22 THE WITNESS: On the passenger — well, both
23 sides. Both sides are — the doors are actually cut
24 out.
25 BY MS. LASO:
Page 37:
1 Q. Cut out?
2 A. You know, where you — like an armrest.
3 They’re cut down there. And I don’t know if that was
4 the reason they did that, to give you more view over
5 there or not, but it was a good idea, the design that
6 they came up with with that. But, yes, you can see on
7 the sides. You know, if you’re looking there, you can
8 see.
On 11/15/2018, Boise Cascade Johnson and Laster:
- What is the name and address of the person answering these interrogatories, and, if applicable, the person’s official position or relationship with the party to whom the interrogatories are directed, your affiliation with the Defendant, and the length of time you have been employed by the Defendant, and list all the positions you held in the past and your current position.
ANSWER: Legal counsel to Boise with assistance from Chris Johnson and Wayne Laster, Boise employees who can be reached through counsel.
- Describe in detail how the incident described in the Complaint happened, including all actions taken by the Defendant driver to prevent the incident.
ANSWER: Boise objects to Interrogatory No. 3 as over broad.
- Describe in detail each act or omission on the part of any party to this lawsuit that you contend constituted negligence that was a contributing legal cause of the incident in question.
ANSWER: Boise objects to Interrogatory No. 4 as vague, overly broad, unduly burdensome, and to the extent it requests information protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and/or attorney work product doctrine. Subject to and without waiving the foregoing objection, Boise states that Plaintiff contributed to the incident alleged in Plaintiff’s Complaint by failing to observe traffic rules and/or failing to take all reasonable steps to avoid the incident.
- Do you contend any person or entity other than you is, or may be, liable in whole or part for the claims asserted against you in this lawsuit? If so, state the full name and address of each such person or entity, the legal basis for your contention, the facts or evidence upon which your contention is based, and whether or not you have notified each such person or entity of your contention.
ANSWER: Boise objects to interrogatory No. 6 as vague, overly broad, unduly burdensome, and to the extent it requests information protected from disclosure by the attorney client work privilege and/or attorney work product doctrine. Subject to and without waiving the foregoing objection, Boise states that the Plaintiff is liable in whole or in part for the claims asserted against Boise in this lawsuit.
- List the names, titles and addresses of all persons who have provided information, aid or assistance in answering any issues addressed in these interrogatory questions and give a brief summary of the information or assistance rendered by that person(s).
ANSWER: See response to Interrogatory No. 1.
On 11/16/2018,
- Describe in detail each act or omission on the part of any party to this lawsuit that you contend constituted negligence that was a contributing legal cause of the incident in question.
ANSWER: Defendant Longest objects to Interrogatory No. 6 as vague, overly broad, unduly burdensome, and to the extent it requests information protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and/or attorney work product doctrine. Subject to and without waiving the foregoing objection, Defendant Longest states that Plaintiff contributed to the incident alleged in Plaintiff’s Complaint by failing to observe traffic rules and/or failing to take all reasonable steps to avoid the incident.
- Do you contend any person or entity other than you is, or may be, liable in whole or part for the claims asserted against you in this lawsuit? If so, state the full name and address of each such person or entity, the legal basis for your contention, the facts or evidence upon which your contention is based, and whether or not you have notified each such person or entity of your contention.
ANSWER: Defendant Longest objects to interrogatory No. 8 as vague, overly broad, unduly burdensome, and to the extent it requests information protected from disclosure by the attorney client work privilege and/or attorney work product doctrine. Subject to and without waiving the foregoing objection, Defendant Longest states that the Plaintiff is liable in whole or in part for the claims asserted against him in this lawsuit. Defendant Longest reserves the right to supplement this response to the extent additional information is identified.
On 5/5/2017, Trooper Linzmayer authored a Traffic Crash Report and reported:
“V01 traveled southbound on State Road 91 (Florida Turnpike), in the #5 lane. V02 traveled southbound on the Florida Turnpike, in the outside (#6) lane. For an unknown reason(s) V01 skidded, and rotated clockwise, before its left front portion struck V02’s front left (steering) wheel/tire, and front left corner bumper. D01 subsequently brought V01 to a stop on the western paved shoulder, facing south. D02 brought V02 to a stop on the western paved shoulder, facing south, southerly from V01.”
This is a fairy tale as I will demonstrate in the courtroom.
On 5/5/2017 at 2:36 p.m., Carrie Broussard called 911. [EXHIBIT 183.] She didn’t see the impact, but she saw me spin around several times in the middle of the Turnpike headed Southbound. She said she saw me attempting to get out in the slow lane around Mile Marker 257, but she saw me spinning out in the two middle lanes. She later told me I was spinning counterclockwise. [EXHIBIT ____.] (Trooper Linzmayer said I was spinning clockwise, which would have been consistent with his bizarre account of the accident.)
On 5/5/2017 at 2:39 p.m., Jerome Wilt called 911. [EXHIBIT 184.] He reported the accident on the Florida Turnpike between 267 and 268 between a white convertible and a semi-truck. He said he saw the semi-truck had pulled over to the right shoulder, but the convertible was still in the middle of the road.
Jerome Wilt has said in a sworn statement that the trucker caused the accident. [EXHIBIT ___.]
On 5/5/2017 at 2:39 p.m., 17 milliseconds later, I called 911. [EXHIBIT 185.] I told the 911 operator that I just had a truck run into me and spun me around near Exit 265 heading Southbound on the Florida Turnpike. I told the operator that I felt a twinge in my back, but I didn’t think I was injured. (I was clueless. I was injured.) I declined an ambulance. (Dumb move on my part.) I told the operator I was able to push the car over to the shoulder. 57-seconds into the 911 call, I told the operator that the truck driver was walking up. I described the truck as an 18-wheeler with a green rear bumper, and I identified my car as a white Pontiac Solstice. At 1:14 into the 911 call, I responded to the trucker that I was okay when he asked. At 1:28 into the call, a highway patrol car appeared. I told the operator I was driving down the road and the next thing I knew, I was hit. The call lasted 2:11. The Call History Record [EXHIBIT 118] shows Trooper Linzmayer was on the scene at 2:41 p.m. and was on the call until 5:41 p.m.
At 5:41 p.m. Sallis Towing towed my car to Progressive Insurance’s office and gave me a ride. [EXHIBIT 297.]
Tracy Longest’s AT&T Telephone Bill [EXHIBIT 119] shows that Robert Longest was on the phone with 407-850-7831 at the time of the accident and called 911 four minutes later. He may have been distracted by the phone call he was on when he ran into me. 407-850-7831 is a number at ______________.
I believe Robert Longest called his company and probably got instructions on what to say and do. Before he walked down to my vehicle, he called 407-850-7831 again and the call was connected for four minutes. This means that person heard everything Longest and I discussed and perhaps what he told Trooper Linzmayer. He called 407-850-7831 again at 2:49 p.m. He called 407-455-3280 at 2:54 p.m. He called 407-850-7831 again at 3:00 p.m. He called 407-558-1961 at 3:02 p.m. He received an incoming call from 407-293-4463 at 3:17 p.m. He called 407-455-3280 again at 3:53 p.m. He received an incoming call from 407-455-3280 at 4:15 p.m. He called 407-455-3280 again at 4:23 p.m. He received an incoming call from 407-455-3280 at 4:24 p.m. He called 407-455-3280 again at 5:05 p.m. and spoke for 16 minutes. He called 407-271-9810 at 5:21 p.m. and spoke for 27 minutes. At 5:48 p.m., he received an incoming call from 407-271-9810. He called 321-947-7392 at 5:57 p.m. and spoke for 11 minutes.
6:31 321-987-9397 strange
6:34 407-421-2155 landscaping
6:35 407-468-5455 sms
6:37 407-421-2155 landscaping
6:38 321-987-9397 strange
8:48 407-670-4362 retired, wouldn’t talk, did talk to longest
8:55 407-421-2155 landscaping
8:56 440-453-3331 not accepting calls at this time recording
9:01 407-455-3280 left vm
When the trucker (Robert Longest) spoke through my passenger window, he asked if I was okay and said he was sorry. He did not admit liability. He did say he didn’t know what happened.
I called my insurance company to report the accident. Progressive Insurance Claim Number 171822789. Progressive Insurance Adjuster: Steven Larue – 407-949-3697. (Michael F. Sopko of Progressive has handled medical claims – 800-444-3909.) Police Report Number 85433907. The 18-wheeler Kenworth truck was owned by a Goliath, Boise Cascade.
The State Trooper, Gregory S. Linzmayer, arrived, spoke briefly with me and Mr. Robert Longest. He then went down the highway to the Boise Cascade Kenworth truck with Robert Longest, where he spent a long time. I believe Chris Mello was also there.
Trooper Linzmayer only returned to me and my car briefly, did a quick look at the damage to the Pontiac Solstice from the left front, and then went back to the Kenworth truck.
Approximately two hours after the accident, the Trooper came back and gave me a fancy typed Citation. He claimed I spun out and hit the truck on its left fender with the left front fender of my car. This is beyond ludicrous. Mr. Robert Longest lied and claimed he was in the far-right lane. I heard him. He was not in the far-right lane; he was to my left, and he hit me with his right front tire and big steel bumper. The tire marks are very clear on my left front bumper. They show the tire residue streaking from North to South, pooling at the Southern spot. If I had been going down the Turnpike backwards, that tire residue would have been in the opposite direction. My left rear wheel was badly damaged. If I hit the truck with my left front fender against his left front fender, my left rear wheel could not get so badly damaged.
All of the damage to my car was on the left side. The greatest damage was to the left front, but there were also holes in the driver’s door as well as dents in the left rear quarter panel. I don’t know if the truck hit me more than once. When I started spinning, it was all I could do to try to get the car under control. I was afraid I was going to die when I hit the big cement barricades in the median.
I took several photos of my car, and I walked up to the truck and took a few. The right front bumper on the truck was badly bent. I was afraid to get out into the road to take photos of the left front of the truck. I also didn’t think it could be relevant, but Mr. Chris Mello, the man who came to be with the trucker, said there was damage to the left front of the truck. Trooper Linzmayer later claimed that was where I ran into the truck! I believe Mr. Chris Mello concocted the story about the left front fender of the truck. I suspect the paid off Trooper Linzmayer as there is no other logical explanation.
Paramedics came twice. I told them I felt okay, just a little sore. I felt a twinge in my back, and I told the 911 operator this as you will hear on the recording. But I later realized that I was hurt, and I am still hurt today.
My car was small – very low to the ground, but it was far from invisible – 71.3” wide and 157.2” long. I believe the trucker simply didn’t look, went to change lanes, and rammed me. He told me he was exiting at 265, the exit where I was to get off. He lied to the police to avoid a ticket and the four points. Perhaps his job was also at risk. He called someone who came out and was with him – someone from his company — to coach him – Chris Mello.
a careless driving charge is 4 points on a driver’s license. This will cause a driver’s insurance costs to rise and their license may be in jeopardy of a suspension depending on the number of points they have already received on their license.
When Trooper G.S. Linzmayer handed me a citation, I just about croaked. I hadn’t had a traffic or parking ticket in 17 years, now 22 years. I was rammed. I did nothing wrong. I argued politely with the Trooper, and he claimed he has seen cases before where a car spun out in the middle of the highway and hit a car left front to left front. I think this would be all but impossible, and it certainly didn’t happen in this case. I told Trooper Linzmayer that he needed to find the woman who called 911. He returned later to say he had called her (Carrie Broussard) and was waiting for a callback. He said he would tear up the citation if she corroborated my story. I subsequently learned that she didn’t see the impact. Trooper Linzmayer also gave me the Accident Report.
Trooper Linzmayer concealed that there was another eyewitness, Jerome Wilt. He saw it all and has testified that the truck driver caused the accident. Now why would Trooper Linzmayer conceal this vital information unless he was paid off?
I was told that Trooper Linzmayer would call a tow truck, but he never did. I finally arranged a towing company through AAA: Sallis Towing – 352-874-0545. They picked up the car and me and took us to Progressive Insurance’s office. I paid for the tow, and Progressive reimbursed me.
As I got up out of my chair at Progressive Insurance’s office when my Enterprise car was ready, I realized I was injured.
On the way home in Leesburg on May 5, 2017, I went to LRUC Urgent Care in Mount Dora. Dr. Jeremy Johnson examined me and took some X-rays. He could see and feel the trauma to my abdomen. He said it would be several weeks to a month after the swelling went down before referring me to a surgeon. I believed the accident caused my abdomen to pull away from mesh inserted when I had Emergency Incarcerated Umbilical Hernia Surgery on March 29, 2016. I also had some pain in my left arm, but no other pain at that time except a headache and a little neck stiffness.
LRUC Urgent Care in Mount Dora
8404 US Hwy 441
Mount Dora, Florida
352-385-4405
On May 8, 2017, Robert Longest submitted an Accident Report to Boise Cascade. [EXHIBIT 135.] It was co-signed by Ivan Wayne Laster, shown as his “Supervisor.” It shows the Boise Cascade truck in the far-right lane of a two-lane road. It shows my Pontiac Solstice in the lane to the left of the truck. I was never to the left of the truck. The Florida Turnpike was six lanes in each direction where the accident took place. It shows the road curving to the right exiting from the Turnpike, but we were a half-mile from that exit when the accident happened. Longest claims he was driving 60-miles-per-hour, but it was at least 70. The Report claims Robert Longest had been working 10 hours when the accident took place. He claimed there was damage to the bumper, rim, and hub and that the truck was towed from the scene. The report shows the truck to be a 2018 Kenworth, Company Vehicle # 87698, VIN: 1XKZD49X1551815.
Progressive Insurance informed me my car was totaled. I had to rent an Enterprise car while I looked for a replacement for my car. On May 10, 2017, I accepted Progressive’s offer on my car. It was a fair amount in terms of fair market value, but I was unable to replace the car for that amount. I was paid $7,397.10. There was a $500 deductible that I had to absorb. Progressive paid Enterprise directly for most, if not all, of the rentals.
Was this an accident?
Some people believe this was not an accident. Some believe this was another attempt to murder me.
All of the lies don’t make sense.
Such an outlandish Accident Report doesn’t make sense.
The lies of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Gregory Scott Linzmayer don’t make sense.
The lies and outrageous actions by the defense attorneys don’t make sense.
The lies of semi-eyewitness Carrie Broussard don’t make sense.
The communications between Carrie Broussard and Sean Boushie, the derelict who attempted to murder me several years ago, don’t make sense,
Keeping the existence of two witnesses a secret for 5 years doesn’t make sense.
The fact that the truck driver and trooper were both previously charged with domestic violence makes you wonder if they had a relationship.
Two companies worth $50 billion participating in such crimes makes no sense.
At 2:30 p.m. on May 5, 2017, I was happily driving down the Florida Turnpike near Orlando. At 2:35 p.m., my little 2,500-pound convertible was crushed by a 56,000-pound 18-wheeler. My car and I were lifted totally off the highway (all four wheels), and the car was turned 180-degrees before I was slammed to the asphalt into eight 75-mile-an-hour spins.
