What started as a helpful act ended in tragedy. A man stopped to help two women who were in a minor accident, and then all three of them were struck and killed by a passing vehicle.

The deadly accident last weekend shows just how dangerous Florida's roads can be for pedestrians. In the last year, 11 pedestrians who had left their vehicles were killed in five accidents in South Florida.

In this case, the two women, who were both 22 years old, were involved in a single-car accident involving a tree very early one morning on Broward Boulevard. When the 24-year-old man stopped to help, all three were struck.

One of the women died at the scene, while the other woman and the Good Samaritan later died at Broward General Medical Center, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The driver of the other vehicle was injured as well.

In another tragic crash last year, five people died after they were struck when they got out of their cars in an early-morning accident on Interstate 95.

State troopers are advising people with stalled vehicles to stand behind guardrails if possible. Another possibility is simply getting as far away as possible from fast-moving lanes. Getting caught on the side of an interstate can be particularly dangerous.

A representative of the Florida Highway Patrol says that it may occasionally be appropriate to remain in the car, but it clearly depends on the situation. People should definitely assess their surroundings and do the safest thing possible.

Source: Sun-Sentinel, "Florida roads prove dangerous for people not in their cars," Robert Nolin, Jan. 23, 2012