Two Pedestrians Struck by Pickup in Orange County Hit-and-Run

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 14, 2019

A hit-and-run accident that took place in Orange County towards the end of November is still under investigation as members of the Florida Highway Patrol work to uncover who was behind the wheel of a pickup truck as it careened through the parking lot of a Publix grocery store. Early reports from the scene included statements from witnesses. These statements indicated that the circumstances that ultimately led to the fatal crash began inside of Publix, which is located along East Colonial Drive close to Chuluota.

Around 8:30 at night on Sunday, November 24th, a man and a woman began to argue while within the Publix. It is not clear what the two were arguing over, but the report stated that it was not contained inside of the store and that the two left the building and continued the argument in the parking lot. At a certain point, the man left the woman and climbed inside of a pickup truck. He then proceeded to strike the woman with the truck, knocking her to the ground. It is not clear if this was intentional, but we do know that after this happened the driver attempted to flee from the parking lot.

At this time, a third individual entered the scene. Having witnessed the first hit-and-run, they attempted to stop the driver of the truck by standing in front of the car. At first, it appears as though the driver of the pickup was going to give up, but after stopping the pickup they began to rev the engine threateningly. Ultimately, the driver of the pickup chose to slowly drive forward, pushing the pedestrian with the front of the truck. The pedestrian attempted to dive out of the way, but they did not make it far enough and the driver of the truck proceeded to run them over. The injuries sustained by the second individual included a broken elbow and two broken bones in his foot. In order to return to his condition before the incident, this person will require skin grafts as well as plastic surgery.

The severity of the injuries sustained by the first pedestrian is not known due to the fact that she fled the scene after being struck by the truck.

Sgt. Kim Montes, spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, stated that they are currently working with video footage taken at the scene to identify the driver of the car.

Sources:

• FHP searching for truck that hit 2 pedestrians in Publix parking lot

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.