UPDATE: Critical Information Missing in Investigation into Fatality Caused by Deputy

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 20, 2018

An ongoing investigation into the death of a civilian after the car they were driving was rear-ended by an Osceola County deputy has reached a strange pause since the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office seemingly refuses to transfer important pieces of information over to the Florida Highway Patrol troopers responsible for the investigation. The initial incident was widely reported on in news outlets as well as on this blog.

On October 5th, a deputy with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office was driving a patrol vehicle to work when they failed to stop behind a line of cars waiting at a red light. Instead, the officer’s car collided with the rear of a pickup truck, inflicting fatal injuries on the individual behind the wheel of this vehicle.

In the aftermath of the accident, it was reported that the brakes on the deputy’s vehicle failed as they approached the sign and that the crash and subsequent fatality were, in fact, the fault of the mechanics who previously worked on the car. This information was put forth by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and for a while it was taken as the truth. Now, however, some things have occurred to cast doubt on the word of this particular public body.

According to reports from various news agencies throughout the county and the state, the investigation into the incident has been severely hampered due to the lack of cooperation from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It appears that while the OCSO claims they delivered all of the relevant information regarding the accident, they have in fact failed to provide many crucial pieces of evidence, including the various radio conversations between the deputy in question and the sheriff’s office as well as this deputy’s phone and work computer.

Because the OCSO has remained difficult to reach on this account, what they are planning or trying to do is not entirely clear. More than anyone, it is the family of the deceased individual and the general public that are being the most wronged by the continued lack of cooperation on the part of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office regarding the investigation, and it currently appears that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is allegedly attempting to cover up an incident perpetrated by a law enforcement officer that resulted in the death of one of the very people they were charged with protecting.

Sources:

• FHP: Sheriff’s Office not cooperating with Osceola deputy-involved fatal crash investigation

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.