49-Year-Old Driver Arrested for Fatal DUI Car Crash in Cocoa
According to recently released dashcam footage from the Brevard County authorities, a 49-year-old driver has allegedly admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages shortly before her vehicle was involved in a deadly collision that claimed the life of a pedestrian in Cocoa last June.
Public Brevard County arrest records indicate that 49-year-old Suzanna Norris was nearly two times the legal limit of intoxication when she struck and killed Passion Lucas, a 37-year-old mother of 6. Statements retrieved from responding officers with the Cocoa Police Department indicate that on June 20, 2021, Passion Lucas was walking in the northbound direction of Industry Road close to the State Road 528 overpass at approximately 2:15 in the morning when Suzanna Norris crashed into her while driving a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. Officers state that although Norris fled the scene of the accident right after it occurred, she eventually returned and told police that she knew she had hit something but wasn’t sure if it was a person or an object.
Local first responders from the city of Cocoa were dispatched to the crash site and immediately engaged in emergency medical techniques in order to save the life of the 37-year-old pedestrian. The mother of six was medevaced to a nearby hospital where she passed away soon after arrival despite the best efforts of the trauma doctors and nurses.
Almost six months later, detectives with the Cocoa Police Department took Suzanna Norris into custody and charged her with DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. “I am very happy that we were able to make an arrest in this investigation and hopefully bring some closure for the Lucas family,” said Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier in a press release.
In addition to the dashcam footage, surveillance video was retrieved from a local establishment which showed Norris consuming multiple beers and shots before the fatal hit-and-run collision took place.
Since 1977, Cocoa auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has been compassionately representing the families who have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drunk driver. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY to speak with an associate.
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.
