Sixteen days after his twin brother died, Ron Carmichael was killed in a
car accident on I-75 in Ocala, Florida. Carmichael, his wife and two sons were traveling home from a family camping trip that followed his twin's funeral.
Don Carmichael died July 4, 2001 at Bon Secours-Venice Hospital while working as the hospital pharmacist. An autopsy revealed heart disease as the cause of death.
After attending Don's funeral, twin brother Ron and his family went on a camping trip in their 1996 Ford Explorer. While traveling home July 14th, Matthew Carmichael, 15 and driving with a learner's permit, was at the wheel when the vehicle's Baja Widetrack tire made by Bridgestone/Firestone ripped apart, sending the SUV rolling. JoAnn Carmichael, 49, and their 14-year-old son, Mark Carmichael, were thrown from the vehicle and killed instantly. Ron Carmichael, 47, died six days after the accident. They were all wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. Florida Highway Patrol investigators believe the accident was a "direct result of tire failure."
Firestone's Baja Widetrack tires were not part of the company's well-publicized recall, even though Federal regulators asked the company to include the model.
Since 1997, 44 people have died on Florida roads in SUVs equipped with Firestone tires. Fourteen of these deaths occurred in vehicles outfitted with Firestone tires not subject to the recall.
Ron and Don Carmichael were born five minutes apart in Rocky Mount, NC. They attended the same college and both became pharmacists. One year after Ron moved to Fort Myers, Don decided to move to Sarasota.
According to car accident reports, Ron and JoAnn's son Matthew, the driver, was the only survivor.