Two Gulf Breeze residents escaped injury after they were involved in a crash in Gulf Breeze near the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Reserve Boulevard Wednesday at 4:51 p.m.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol accident report, Gulf Breeze resident Brian Engle, 48, was attempting to turn left onto Reserve Boulevard off of Hwy. 98 driving eastbound that day during rush hour. A vehicle was blocking the view of Engle in the westbound lane as he was attempting to make the turn onto Reserve Boulevard.
As Engle inched out into traffic, he attempted to pull past the vehicle blocking his view and complete his turn, but he did not see a vehicle coming in the outside westbound lane on Hwy. 98. According to the FHP report, Engle tried to make the turn, and collided with that vehicle, a minivan, driven by Olga Batova, 52, of Gulf Breeze.
The impact to Batova’s vehicle caused it to turn counter-clockwise. Driving immediately behind Batova was a tractor trailer being driven by Walter Davis of Pensacola. Upon witnessing the collision, Davis locked up his brakes, but was unable to stop before hitting the right side of Batova’s vehicle.
After hitting Batova’s vehicle, Davis continued into the grass median where it jack-knifed and came back onto the westbound lanes of Hwy. 98.
Batova’s vehicle came to final rest in a ditch at the northwest corner of Hwy. 98 and Reserve Boulevard.
Batova suffered minor injuries during the accident while the other drivers did not suffer nay injuries, according to the FHP report.
The wreck caused a total of $55,000 to all vehicles involved.
