Police Vehicles Struck During Pursuit in Melbourne

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 17, 2020

On Friday, January 10th, an officer with the Melbourne Police Department was on patrol when they witnessed an individual operating their vehicle in such a way as to cause the officer to initiate a traffic stop. Reports on the following incident did not mention just what it was that caused the officer in question to make the stop, but we do know that the driver of the car targeted by the officer pulled over after the lights on the cruiser were activated.

The officer stopped the patrol car and exited the vehicle. It was while they were walking up towards the pulled over vehicle that the driver of this vehicle decided to try and escape. Backing up unexpectedly, it almost appeared as though the driver was attempting to strike the officer. Fortunately, the officer managed to jump out of the way in time, after which the civilian driver attempted to speed away from the incident.

At this point, numerous police officers were in pursuit of the fleeing vehicle. The chase went from the intersection of University Boulevard and Grand Street all the way out of Melbourne and into Palm Bay. It was while the fleeing driver was traveling along Palm Bay Road that they hit a row of stop sticks deployed by the officers. It was then that numerous officers exited their vehicles and began to approach the civilian driver. Once again, as the officers neared, the driver began to accelerate their car. Just like the first time, all of the officers managed to leap out of the way before being struck by the car, however the driver of this vehicle did collide with one of the police vehicles at the scene. It is not clear if any officers were inside of this vehicle at the time when the civilian vehicle struck it, but we do know that the reports suggested that no one was injured as a result of the collision.

The civilian driver was subsequently arrested and charged on numerous counts, including eluding a police officer, aggravated assault, and possession of cocaine. It is not clear if the individual was offered bail or if they are being held without bail.

Sources:

• Man arrested after crashing into Melbourne police car, police say

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.