Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies had responded to 24 traffic accidents in Destin during the first 48 hours of the Fourth of July weekend, and the rest holiday may bring more of the same.
“It was a combination of congestion and the weather,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson said. “That’s definitely higher than normal.”
At least two of the accidents involved pedestrians struck by cars along U.S. Highway 98 on Thursday night. Destin was among local cities that sponsored fireworks despite the iffy weather.
A woman was hit by a car at 10:20 p.m. in the westbound lanes near the Donut Hole. She did not appear to have serious injuries, according to rescuers. She was taken to a local hospital.
Less than 30 minutes later a man was found bleeding from the head in the median near Waffle House, Nicholson said. He is believed to have been hit by a car and was flown by medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate those accidents.
