Driver Issued DUI After Striking FHP Cruiser in Construction Zone

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 14, 2018

Early in the morning of Friday, August 10th, a 24-year-old from Orlando was driving their 2016 Honda through a construction zone located along State Road 528 in Orange County. At the same time, a 55-year-old lieutenant in the Florida Highway Patrol, was at work in the construction zone, ensuring that the the construction workers were safe from passing cars.

It was sometime around 1:45 when the 24-year-old approached the construction site. The officer was inside of her patrol car at the time. The reports from the Florida Highway Patrol state that the officer had activated the lights on the vehicle, although it is not clear for what purpose.

As the 24-year-old began to drive through the construction site, something happened to cause them to lose control of the vehicle. The first thing they hit was the police cruiser, and damages to the vehicle resulted in the officer in question becoming trapped within the patrol car. After striking the cruiser, the man driving the Honda also struck another car. The report did not indicate just who was inside of the third car and it also failed to state whether or not this person suffered from any injuries.

The 24-year-old was apprehended by additional officers who rushed to the scene. After a preliminary series of questions and sobriety tests it was determined that this person was highly intoxicated. They admitted to having consumed at least four alcoholic beverages, although, since the amount of alcohol from drink to drink can vary wildly, this hardly supplies concrete information regarding the amount of intoxicant ingested.

Police subsequently arrested the man and charged him with a DUI, amongst other things.

The officer with the Florida Highway Patrol was trapped inside of the car for upwards of thirty minutes before emergency response crews were able to pry her free. She was then taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and treated for her injuries. Sometime later that same day she was able to be released from the medical facility. It is not clear just what the extent of her injuries was or if she will return to the force immediately.

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.