RSSFlorida Highway Patrol Officer in Critical Condition after Collision
A 24-year-old police officer employed by the Melbourne branch of the Florida Highway Patrol is listed as being in serious condition after a car crash that happened between a patrol car and a Mazda on Babcock Street in Melbourne. According to the official reports, the incident happened on Thursday, September 27th, sometime during the night.
The officer with the Florida Highway Patrol was on the clock, driving their patrol car down the southern lanes of Babcock Street, shortly before the incident. At this same time, a Mazda was being driven down the northern lanes of Babcock Street. Behind the wheel of the Mazda was an 18-year-old individual. It is not clear if they are a Melbourne resident or if they hail from some other part of the county or state.
The driver of the Mazda decided to make a left turn off of Babcock Street. This necessitated their crossing over the southern lanes of the road in order to access the turnoff. At the exact moment when the driver of the Mazda decided to make the turn the patrol car was driving by in the southern lanes. For reasons that are not completely clear, the driver of the Mazda failed to notice the Florida Highway Patrol vehicle – either that or they believed that there was more space lying in between the two cars.
When the Mazda turned off of the northern lanes and across the southern ones, the two cars collided. Reports from the Florida Highway Patrol indicated that the front right side of the Mazda struck the front left side of the patrol car. This means that the patrol car was hit exactly where the officer driving it was sitting. As a result, the officer sustained severe injuries. It is not clear how much time elapsed between the initial collision and when the officer was transported from the area of the crash to Holmes Regional Hospital, but we do know that when the officer was admitted to the emergency medical facility that they were listed as being in serious condition. At the time of this writing, it is not believed that any updates to the officer’s condition have been released.
The driver of the Mazda also suffered from injuries in the incident, but they were minor by comparison. It is not known if any charges against the 18-year-old are pending.
Sources:
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.