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Teen Cited After Running Stop Sign, Hitting Car And House
August 2, 2014
A Pensacola teen was ticketed after running a stop sign and hitting a vehicle and a house Friday afternoon in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 16-year old David Lane Godwin was traveling west on Kingsfield Road in a 2014 Dodge Challenger when he failed to stop for a stop sign at County Road 97. His vehicle was hit by a 2006 Ford 500 driven by 51-year old Tamala Ann Mattheiss of Cantonment, forcing the Dodge Challenger to travel about 63 feet before striking a house in the 1700 block of Highway 97.
Godwin and Mattheiss were both transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital with serious injuries. Godwin’s passenger, 15-year old Preston Layne Walker of Cantonment, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
The house sustained about $3,000 in damages, according to the FHP.
Troopers cited Godwin for running a stop sign.
Pictured: A vehicle collided with another vehicle and a house Friday afternoon in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Comments
30 Responses to “Teen Cited After Running Stop Sign, Hitting Car And House”
Some of the comments on here are saying they are glad there were no serious injuries involved in this accident. Well , my friend that the young man pulled in front of is in the hospital with a broken arm with a plate from her elbow to her wrist … A broken ankle that required surgery as well with 6 pins in her ankle. And also she has a broken back also. She will be immobile for 6-8 weeks due to her broken back. She also was told by the Doctor that she needs rehab for 8 weeks. I would consider this as serious injuries. I’m thankful that there were no deaths involved.
I am so glad no one was seriously injured. But if this the 4-way stop at Kingsfield and 297A -then yes, it is “well marked” I travel that way every single day. There have been a lot of accidents at this intersection. People really do need to pay more attention while driving. Whether you are 16 or 66. PAY ATTENTION!!!!! There is no excuse for running a stop sign!!!!!
Debra, the intersection here is NOT a 4-way stop. I’ve driven through there recently and had to insure my stop as I was crossing Hwy 97. If this is not where you drive, all you have to do is look up on Google Maps street view and you can see the stop signs on Kingsfield Rd but not on Hwy 97.
For at least the past year, the driver of the Challenger has been my neighbor. A very well behaved young man. They were good neighbors and sorry to see them move out of the neighborhood. I’m sure he was driving the car because of the move. Mom was always very responsible and respectful. The Son displayed those same characteristics so please don’t judge the kid unless you know him. Prayers for swift healing. Godspeed!
Let’s see I am westbound on Kingsfield approaching 97, I pass one 36″ stop ahead sign before getting to the right turn lane, I then pass another 36″ stop ahead sign that has a special emphasis design AND a flashing warning beacon on top, I am pretty sure there are stop ahead and stop messages printed on the roadway and finally an oversized stop sign, stop bar ……additionally there are warning signs advising of the presence of the intersection for traffic approaching on 97…… I can’t see how any fault can be constributed to the roadway, strictly a matter of an inexperienced driver failing to use due care………..
What we ALL need to do is get on the phone, fax, etc. to the County Commission, Road Department, Sheriff’s Department, and anyone else who (won’t) listen to us. If enough people inundate them with communications regarding the issue, they ought to do something. At some point this intersection will become a liability for the County, but it MUST begin with the dangers being brought to the authorities’ attention.
In any event it will be a while before this individual makes that mistake again.
Moreover I am of the opinion that the Challenger is a well constructed auto.
Notice how the front end and rear quarter panels are buckled, but the floor pan maintained it’s integrity, protecting the driver.
Full frame or just plain luck?
It’s not just teenager’s anymore, I see adults driving distracted all the time too. For example: There was an adult female driving with steering wheel in one hand and her iPad in the other very scary.
Florida needs to abolish the “no fault” insurance laws and increase fines and penalties, if they did things right we could get bad drivers off the road, let them ride ecat.
I’m the mother of the passenger that was involved in this accident. After seeing the vehicles, I am so very thankful that everyone involved will be ok. It could have been so much worse. We just went by the scene of the accident again today and there really needs to be a red light or flashing light at that intersection. The signage is very confusing…especially for someone who is not familiar with that area. With that being said, this has been a very scary incident for everyone involved and I know that my son Layne and his friend Lane has learned some very valuable lessons
Like Carl posted, hundreds per day and thousands per year see and are able to stop at that stop sign.
This was a mistake, not an accident. Hopefully all learn from their mistakes.
Tammi had surgery on her arm and ankle today. I am thankful that no one died in this accident. She had a broken arm, broken ankle and a broke back. She will need rehab for 6 weeks or longer. Please pray for her and her family during this difficult time . I will pray for the other driver as well. !! What will it take to get some type of signal at that intersection ? Many accidents there. Fatal ones as well. !!
A 16 and 15 year old have NO business being alone in a car that has the power that those things have. Just asking for trouble. Sorry.
there is no caution light at hwy.97 and kingsfield road nor is it a 4 way stop.that is at 297a and kingsfield rd.
Hwy 97 and Kingsfield is a two way stop for the traffic on Kingsfield and has no flashing light. the four way stop with the flashing caution light is at Hwy. 297 & Kingsfield. Prayers with all involved.
So very saddened to hear this. I pray for a speedy recovery for all involved.
I’ve read the comments and see both sides of the matter.
The family was moving and mom stated her responsible son was driving the car and she was right behind him. Maybe she needed him to drive and a u-hual is certainly harder to handle than a challenger. We don’t know because we aren’t in her shoes.
I can certainly understand how he feels, because the day after I got my drivers license, I pulled out in front of a Cadillac and was t-boned. Guess what? I was 16 and I was in a car that was not meant for someone my age. I was in a souped-up Nissan 240sx that my dad had bought second hand for me. I’m lucky to be alive and the people in the accident were lucky as well. After my accident, that car went to the trash heap, it was totaled that bad! I was given a yugo instead. I’m sure he does feel bad for what has happened. We’ve all had incidents on the road, and this one was unfortunate.
But on the other side, I can see why folks are curious as to why this young man was driving a challenger. It’s not necessarily what is under the hood, but the perception that comes with the car. I thought I was awesome in my 240sx and that nothing could catch me. I’m not passing judgement by any means…but it is understandable to wonder why such a car was being driven by such a young driver. Challengers are known to be powerful and “fast” cars…they are muscle cars with a certain image…even if it was only a V-6 engine in this car. A young driver is not going to have the experience to handle a vehicle like that. “A car is not a car is not a car.”
Having said that, this experience can possibly make him a much more aware driver and change his driving habits to the positive forever. I know my experience did.
Again, I wish a speedy recovery for everyone involved.
R/T Janice Stafford
The intersection at County Road 97 & Kingsfield Road is a four-way stop. There is a blinking light in place that is visible for at least a mile before approaching the intersection. County Road 97 declines and drivers can easily miss the stop sign at the intersection when traveling towards Cantonments. Prayers for a speedy recovery for all involved in this accident.
This is my son that was driving my car because we are moving to a new house. I was right behind him in a 26′ uhaul truck. He is a responsible young man that made his first driving mistake. His heart is hurting from this mistake and for all those involved. EVERY vehicle has the ability to cause injury. This car is 6-c and it doesn’t matter whether it’s driven by a child or an adult, ACCIDENTS happen. This intersection, like many others, is high risk even for experienced drivers. Lesson learned! And thank God that no one was killed like others that have lost their life in this intersection.
Two or three years ago, a middle aged lady ran that same stop sign and was hit by a pick up. Her male passenger was killed. A young boy was in the back seat and wasn’t even seen for a little while because of the horrific damage to the car. So age makes no difference. Not all Challengers are powerful. Most of them and also most of the Chargers are 6 cylinders. So the car didn’t matter. In that period of time thousands of people have stopped at that stop sign, so the signage didn’t cause the accident, and that is what it was, an accident.
Renee,
once they know nobody was hurt too badly this time, folks don’t have to dwell on that.They can move on to other matters such as what might have contributed to the event and how to avoid the next one. They don’t know all the details, just that a stop sign was run, people’s lives were at risk, people were hurt, property was damaged. Bratt was commenting on the temptation created by some vehicles, not condemning the ones who yield to temptation.
A reasonable question to ask oneself, though, is : Would it kill me to stop at a stop sign?
And, yes, some stop signs are hard to see until it’s too late. Please show care for others by calling the county. They’re pretty good about trying to fix road problems before somebody dies if they know about them. And THAT’S part of the discussion, too. Even if you don’t call, they might see the problem mentioned here.
David for safe children
and houses
That is a powerful car for a child to be driving.
@Kevin
Still…
Edited post from Bratt is still relevant…
A 16yr old with his parent’s 2014 DODGE CHALLENGER??? Wow
Never let your kid borrow a brand new high dollar fast car because you know they are gonna test it out. Not saying that he was driving fast because I didn’t read anywhere that said speed was a factor BUT they are just starting to drive so get something expendable because a lot of the teens wreck them and then you wouldn’t be out so much money.
“If you dont have the whole story then dont judge”
He ran a stop sign, caused a wreck, hit a house.
Sounds like the story to me, unless you toss in texting, aliens in the car, etc.
If you dont have the whole story then dont judge. Everyone makes mistakes and ACCIDENTS HAPPEN! Thank god everone is ok, which should be the main focus here instead of the type of car and who it belongs to!!
Hey Bratt did you ever think that it was his parents car. Pray the the people involved are okay and if there was a mistake they learn from it. Have some compassion instead of judging people you know nothing about.
Tammi , I heard about your accident last night. I’m in Indiana and my thoughts are with you girl. You have proven time and time again that your a very strong determined woman. Stay positive and this will pass. I love you so so much !! MUAH
A 16yr old with a 2014 DODGE CHALLENGER??? Wow
Never buy your kid a brand new high dollar fast car because you know they are gona test it out. Not saying that he was driving fast because I didn’t read anywhere that said speed was a factor BUT they are just starting to drive so get them a nice car but a lot of the teens wreck them so you wouldn’t be out so much money.
so sad that a 16 yr old driver with a passenger has to learn… driving takes alot more than turning the key & steping on the gas & brake. It takes alot of skill to drive. hopefully all involved will have a speedy recovery,
I travel this way everyday for the last 33 years or so.. The stop sign on Kingsfield going east is hard to see until you are right on it.. If you do not know the road it is easy to miss until to late.. So many accidents are at this intersection.. There really should be a flashing light or traffic light..
My daughter & grandson were next to pass this stop sign and witnessed this accident . I thank God it was not them that was hit. Prayers for recovery & quick healing to all involved. This was a preventable accident.
Another dangerous intersection when drivers are inattentive. Prayers for all involved.
The next life lesson that Godwin learns is how you get screwed by an insurance company. Hope he has gap insurance on 2014 Challenger.