Orlando Racing Incident on Interstate 4 Results in Multiple Charges and Arrest

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on June 20, 2014

Florida Highway Patrol troopers have announced that they have arrested at least one driver involved in a recent racing incident and pursuit on Interstate 4 in Orlando. The trooper who arrested one of the drivers involved in the race said that he was getting onto eastbound I-4 from State Road 408 around 4:30 a.m. on recent morning when he saw drivers racing in front of him.

FHP spokesperson Sgt. Kim Montes told reporters that, "(the incident) was obviously a spontaneous race."

Shortly after the trooper merged onto I-4, he witnessed two cars racing at high speeds while traveling on the downtown Orlando portion of the interstate. The driver of one of the vehicles apparently noticed the trooper and slowed down. The other, a 24-year-old man driving an older model Acura Integra, increased speed and began passing other vehicles. The troopers then turned on his lights and siren but the driver made no attempt to stop and began fleeing and eluding, according to the arrest affidavit.

"He still continued to drive in a manner that put other people at risk, including the trooper," Montes said.

The pursuing trooper said that the driver turned his vehicle’s lights off near the Fairbanks Avenue curve and sped away at an estimated 130 miles per hour, greatly increasing the danger to others on the road.

"Now drivers can’t see him. He’s speeding at a high rate of speed," Montes said.

Sensing the danger to him and others, the trooper quickly broke off pursuit and alerted other units. However, before the trooper ended the pursuit, he got a good look at the driver’s face and wrote down the license plate number. FHP troopers arrived at the driver’s home some time later and took the driver into custody. He faces numerous charges, including fleeing law enforcement and racing on a highway. Troopers said that he has received more than one dozen traffic citations in Orange County since 2005.

Fortunately, this incident did not result in an accident. However, central Floridians know that aggressive driving incidents such as this often end up causing serious accidents that kill and injure people who often are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you are injured in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver and speak with an Orlando personal injury lawyer, call 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) today and schedule a free consultation. James O. Cunningham has been successfully representing injured people since 1977 and has a proven record of success helping them receive the compensation they deserve. Call him today and get an aggressive and experienced Orlando car accident attorney on your side!

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.