DUI Hit-and-Run Suspect Crashes into Local Dentist’s Office in Ocala

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 24, 2023

A driver from Dunnellon is facing several charges this week after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run collision early Monday morning along SW 10th Street in Ocala.

According to preliminary reports from officers with the Ocala Police Department, it was shortly after midnight on January 23, 2023, when 22-year-old Dunnellon resident Gabriel Johann Hausy was driving his Chevrolet Equinox down SW 10th Street. At some point during his travels, he crashed into another vehicle on the roadway before slamming into Healthy Smiles Dentistry, located at 206 SW 10th Street.

Authorities with the Ocala Police Department were dispatched to the scene of the crash within minutes of receiving notice from 9-1-1 operators, however, as soon as they arrived, they noticed that the driver of the Equinox had fled the accident site on foot. Officers canvassed the area and found a witness who provided a detailed description of the hit-and-run suspect. Hausy was spotted nearby and after a short chase, he was apprehended and taken into custody.

Routine field sobriety tests were conducted by officers after Hausy’s permission and the breathalyzer registered a 0.14 BAC – nearly twice the legal limit for the state of Florida. Reports indicate that Hausy had been drinking at a local bar about an hour and a half before the incident occurred.

Gabriel Johann Hausy has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with property damage, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, and resisting an officer without violence. Members of the Ocala Police Department transported him to a Marion County Jail where he is being held on a $2,500 bond.

Although no injuries were immediately reported by the other driver involved in this collision, sometimes it can take a few days before certain ailments manifest themselves, like whiplash, burns from airbag deployments, and bruising from seatbelts. If you have been involved in an auto accident of any type, it is imperative that you be checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible. Even a small fender-bender can add up to serious injuries further down the road.

Since 1977, Ocala auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has been representing victims who have been seriously injured in hit-and-run collisions, T-bone crashes, head-on collisions, and wrong-way car accidents. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY for an appointment.

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.