RSSNew Smyrna Beach Wrong Way Truck Accident
A driver’s license is a privilege and a serious responsibility. It is not something to be taken lightly. People who are given a driver’s license need to follow the traffic laws and drive defensively. They want to protect the occupants in their vehicle as well as people in other vehicles.
A 61-year-old Volusia County man did not follow that advice and severely injured the driver of another vehicle, according to media reports. On March 6, 2014 Angel Luis Sanabria-Diaz was driving his pickup truck along State Route 44 near New Smyrna Beach. He crashed into a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. The 43-year-old driver suffered significant injures and was hospitalized for a long period of time after the accident.
Sanabria-Diaz is a habitual drunk driver and was intoxicated at the time of the accident. His blood alcohol level was measured at 0.25 at the time of the accident, over three times the legal limit of 0.08 in the state of Florida. A state patrol found an open beer can in Sanabria-Diaz’s vehicle.
He was so drunk at the time of the accident that he asked the state patrol officer if he could relieve himself before taking a sobriety test. And he did right next to the patrol car! He admitted to the officer that he has been drinking and smelled like alcohol. Sanabria-Diaz failed the test and was arrested.
Sanabria-Diaz was convicted of drunk driving in 2010, 1999 and 1987 and was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash. He wasn’t being a responsible driver and caused serious bodily injury to someone while driving on a suspended license, a felony in the state of Florida.
On November 13, 2014 a judge sentenced Sanabria-Diaz to 10 years in prison for the crime. It was the maximum amount allowed under the law. Now, he will have a decade in prison to reflect on the injuries that he caused and his responsibility to be a safe driver on the public roads.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that was caused by a drunk driver, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. immediately at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.