Cantonment Man Cited After 3-Vehicle Interstate Wreck

June 5, 2016

A Cantonment man was cited by the Florida Highway Patrol after a three-vehicle crash on I-10 near Pine Forest Road Saturday afternoon.

According to the FHP, 28-year old Christopher Michael Benoit was westbound on the interstate when he noticed a vehicle stopped in his lane. His 2003 Ford F150 entered the median. Due to rainy and wet conditions, he lost control  and re-entered the westbound lanes, causing a collision with a Kia Forte and a Cadillac STS.

The occupants of the Kia – driver Nina Marie Chestnut, 53, and passenger Gary Frank Chestnut, 61 – were critically injured and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. Benoit received minor injuries as did 62-year old Suzanne Peabody Holm, the driver of the CTS.

Benoit was cited for failure to drive in a single lane by the FHP.

Comments

9 Responses to “Cantonment Man Cited After 3-Vehicle Interstate Wreck”

  1. pcolamomof4 on June 7th, 2016 11:13 am

    Hi, jeeperman, haven’t seen you in a while. On Saturday Cat Country posted about two accidents between 29 and Pineforest on westbound 10. Sounds like maybe he wasn’t paying attention to conditions and became the second accident.

  2. jeeperman on June 7th, 2016 9:38 am

    He did not enter the opposite direction lanes.
    According to the article above.

  3. Dennis on June 6th, 2016 10:03 am

    When driving you are suppose to stay in a single lane except when passing not crossing the median and crossing the lanes in the opposite direction would be my guess?????

  4. William on June 5th, 2016 11:22 pm

    >>Either the reporting in this accident report is lackluster or I’m confused as all get-out

    The article accurately reflects the information contained in the FHP report.

  5. Ponderosa hill on June 5th, 2016 9:40 pm

    Sumtin I’m not getting…..what’s a “single ” lane on the Interstate ? Was he driving in the Passing lane ? ( as so many are wont to do in these parts)…….Was he speeding ? Was he texting ? What about the stopped car in his lane and again which lane ? Who was driving the “stopped” car ? Either the reporting in this accident report is lackluster or I’m confused as all get-out .

  6. Mindy on June 5th, 2016 6:58 pm

    My family and I were traveling west bound going home to LA when that guy came into our lane. We would have also, been involved in that accident if my husband hadn’t gone left halfway into the median. We barely missed the end of his truck as he was struck by the Kia and then the Cadillac. I can be sympathetic to him, but why wasn’t he paying attention to the fact that someone was completely stopped in front of him if that’s what happened, regardless of tail lights or not. I feel more sympathic to the innocent individuals that was hit by this guy. I prayed the rest of the way home that they weren’t killed. We saw so many crazy drivers on the road. There would be less accidents on the road if everybody drove more friendly, paid better attention, and stopped driving so fast!!! It appeared he was coming from the east bound side because he was bouncing across the wet, grassy median. There wasn’t anyone stopped in front of us, only behind us after he caused this accident. I think the FHP needs to know that fact.

  7. Frank on June 5th, 2016 5:55 pm

    I thought there was a Minimum speed on the Interstate? STOPPED? that is WAY beyond minimum… Your doing 70 (Speed limit there) and someone is stopped, with possibly no brake lights or flashers? Me think he needs a good Lawyer…

  8. EMD on June 5th, 2016 1:00 pm

    Jeeperman, you beat me to it. I was going to say, “How could he drive in his single lane, when someone was stopped in it?” Good grief. The guy risked his own neck which was already at risk and kept from hitting the one who was stopped. What could he have done in a split second decision like this? I would like to hear what the Hwy. Patrol has to say about this. DANG!

  9. jeeperman on June 5th, 2016 10:42 am

    “Benoit was cited for failure to drive in a single lane by the FHP.”

    And the person stopped in the travel lane was not cited for anything?