Police Find Drugs in SUV that Crashed into Oviedo Fire Station

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 2, 2014

Oviedo police are looking for the driver and one occupant of a rented SUV that recently crashed into a fire station in the city. Investigating officers report that the crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. at the fire station located on Central Avenue. They say that officers found small amounts of crack cocaine and prescription medication in the rented BMW SUV after the driver and occupant fled from the scene. No Oviedo firefighters were injured in the crash but blood samples collected from the deployed airbags in the SUV suggest that both occupants of the car were injured in the crash.

The occupants have still not been found but officers are hopeful that blood samples submitted to labs at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will help them find the driver and passenger. Police say that officers first spotted the SUV outside a closed business near the fire station shortly before 3:30 a.m. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver "took off speeding on State Road 434 and Mitchell Hammock Road, heading northbound," according to Sgt. Jermaine Walton. Around a minute after officers began their pursuit of the vehicle, it crashed through the front windows of the fire station 42 S. Central Ave., hitting a fire truck and a battalion chief’s car inside the station. The accident caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to the building and vehicles.

Officers strongly suspect that the occupants were under the influence of crack cocaine and illegal prescription medication at the time of the accident and are hopeful that toxicology tests will confirm their suspicions. According to a study conducted by The Center of Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality and the National Surveys of Drug Use and Health from 2006 to 2009, approximately four percent (3.8 to 4.2) of Florida drivers are under the influence of illegal drugs at any given time. This percentage trends higher from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. each day. Making matters worse, the study concluded that two-thirds (66.2%) of drugged drivers aged 16 or older are also under the influence of alcohol.

Drunk and drugged driving are persistent threats to everyone on or near Florida roadways, especially at night. If you or a member of your immediate family has been injured by a driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, you may have a right to seek damages against that driver and their insurer. If you would like to speak with an Florida personal injury attorney with a reputation for helping his clients receive the maximum compensation for their injuries, call James O. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587). Mr. Cunningham has successfully represented injured victims of vehicle accidents for nearly 40 years. Call him today for effective and aggressive legal representation.

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.