Saturday Night Highway 29 Crash Claims One Life

December 22, 2013

A  traffic crash Saturday night in McDavid claimed the life of a Pensacola man.

The accident happened about 8:30 p.m. on Highway 29 near Highway 164. The Florida Highway Patrol said 61-year old Kim Jon Lagamba of Pensacola was southbound on Highway 29 when he failed to negotiate a curve. His 1995 Nissan Frontier entered the median and traveled about 450 feet before reentering Highway 29. The vehicle rotate several times before it traveled onto the shoulder, hit a culvert, become airborne and struck a tree. The vehicle then came to rest in a culvert.

Lagamba was ejected from the vehicle and  was pronounced deceased on the scene; there were no passengers in the vehicle. Lagamba was not wearing a seat belt, according to the FHP.

The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriffs Office also responded to the crash.

Pictured: First responders on the scene of a fatal traffic crash Saturday night on Highway 29 in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

18 Responses to “Saturday Night Highway 29 Crash Claims One Life”

  1. Family is forever on December 28th, 2013 6:47 pm

    Rip Flip we love you and we miss you, can’t imagine what it’s going to be
    like without you. No matter in life and no matter in death family is forever.
    Love your family…,

  2. firefly on December 28th, 2013 8:22 am

    Flip, I can’t believe you are gone man. It was a pleasure knowing you and working with you while I did. You were a caring individual who would do anything for anyone. Rest in peace my friend.

  3. Stephanie V. Rogers on December 26th, 2013 11:24 pm

    It doesn’t matter how it happened. What matters is that the world lost a truly spirited, good hearted, hard working person!! Just working with him for the little time I did made an impact on me. He always put a smile on our faces or gave us a laugh. Always a joy to be around. I’m sure he has left behind many loved ones and friends and I feel truly blessed to have known him no matter how short it was. All I can say is that He was called away too soon.

  4. significant other of the victim on December 26th, 2013 5:13 am

    He always wears his seatbelt even always fussed at me for not wearing mine, I don’t know why he didn’t have it on at that time, but really people this isn’t the place to be making your arguments or trying to place blame. This is bad enough for myself as well as for his family without having to read all this.

  5. me on December 23rd, 2013 1:49 pm

    RIP Flip it was great knowing you and working with you.

  6. chevyman350 on December 23rd, 2013 11:11 am

    rest in peace flip!

  7. Atmore G on December 23rd, 2013 8:22 am

    Tragedies like this one impact loved ones and family so much during the Christmas season.. My most sincere prayers are with the family..

  8. SHO_NUFF on December 23rd, 2013 12:49 am

    Prayers and condolences to the family and friends.

    That being said, there is absolutely no reason the victim of the crash is not still alive other than not wearing a seat belt.
    The photos of the truck do not indicate a hard frontal or side crash with another object, nor a roof collapse from a roll over. This was a very survivable crash, possible walking away if the victim were restrained.

    Ejection usually causes death by trauma to the head/brain or a broken neck. Please people, where seat belts. How many fatalities have we seen on NE in the last year that were from not belting in. A hard habit to break, but if you force yourself to use one for a few weeks it will become second nature. You will feel unsafe not wearing one. This comes from a non seat belt user for many years.

  9. Sherri Weaver on December 22nd, 2013 9:20 pm

    I wasn’t blaming the road itself. The road isn’t at fault. I know there’s a lot more traffic than it used to be, and many people are careless. In any case prayers for his family.

  10. n/a on December 22nd, 2013 2:32 pm

    That is a hardbody (d-21), not a Frontier. Frontier was not produced until 1997.

  11. Concerned Neighbor on December 22nd, 2013 1:02 pm

    First of all, my Sincere Sympathy to the family of the driver. I live on Hwy 29 and remember the time I worked very hard to get the DOT to listen and to change they’re mind about raising the speed limit to 65 mph to only have the section around Molino Road that would remain 55 mph be enlarged. Hwy 29 is a twisting busy road, with many side roads, school buses stopping (especially now in the dark), and does not need a 65 mph speed limit. Yes, driver responsibility plays into the safety thing BUT it was raised 10 mph and many people will go over that by 10 mph. So, what you have are drivers going 75-80 mph passing me all the time. The DOT said to me “we’ll, people are doing 65 anyway.” Well, duh? Now they’re doing 75-80. I asked them how many people would die before they decided they were wrong? Well, how many? :( I’ve lost count!!

  12. Jerry A on December 22nd, 2013 11:58 am

    Ms Weaver, it is ludicrous to place blame on the roadway. We should place blame squarely where it belongs and that is right on shoulders of the vehicle operator,

  13. Greg on December 22nd, 2013 9:35 am

    Hwy. 29 hasn’t gotten, dangerous, we have.

  14. Ben on December 22nd, 2013 8:38 am

    Please take the extra 10 seconds and put on your seat belt. Prayers for his family in this hard time.

  15. SC on December 22nd, 2013 8:28 am

    It’s the same old story “Wear your SEATBELT”.

  16. 429SCJ on December 22nd, 2013 6:51 am

    We went for a cruise last night around 8pm and I noticed right away that the traffic seemed unusually heavy on 29. We were sitting at Molino Crossroads attempting in vain to safely cross 29 and I finally said enough, let’s head home and hit the right turn signal.

    Prayers for this persons family and loved ones.

  17. Sherri Weaver on December 21st, 2013 10:44 pm

    Prayers for the family. Hwy 29 has gotten so dangerous lately. It seems like there at least one death a week.

  18. Ashlynn on December 21st, 2013 10:31 pm

    So sad this happened. The family and friends of this individual will be in my prayers.