Former Florida Police Officer Faces Charges After FHP Accident Investigation

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 6, 2012

A former Winter Springs police officer who was released from jail recently after posting bond still faces serious charges in connection with an accident that killed one person and seriously injured another. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) arrested the 34-year-old former police officer and charged him with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and racing on a highway after a six-month investigation. FHP troopers report that on January 12, 2012, the man lost control of his Mazda RX-7 shortly after pulling out of an auto repair shop on West Colonial. They say that after the man pulled into the westbound lanes of West Colonial, the man recklessly stepped on his gas pedal, causing his car to fishtail wildly.

The fishtailing caused the man to lose control of his vehicle, and he began traveling along the north shoulder of the roadway, where he struck a curb and a gutter before hitting two people who were waiting at a bus stop for a LYNX bus. The victims, an 82-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman, were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the man died from his injuries the next day and the woman remained hospitalized with serious injuries.

In addition to the considerable criminal penalties he now faces, this negligent driver can also be liable for wrongful death and personal injury charges by the victims and their families. Most drivers learn early in their driving careers that pressing the accelerator to the floor too quickly will cause the rear tires to spin and the car will fishtail back and forth. It is a type of reckless driving, and the vast majority of drivers only do this one or two times while learning how to drive. Since the man who caused this accident is a former police officer, it is likely that he issued tickets for this and other acts of reckless driving and surely knows the risks associated with "flooring" the accelerator. Yet, he did it anyway, and his actions killed one person and seriously injured another.

Have you or someone in your immediate family been injured by a reckless driver? If so, you may be entitled to compensation to help pay medical bills and other damages. Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham has been helping injured people since 1977 and has earned an enviable reputation in the legal community for his proven record of success and his devotion to his clients. If you have questions about your rights and legal options and would like to speak with an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer, call 800-425-2004 today to schedule a free 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.