RSSOrange County DUI Car Crash Suspect Arrested Two Almost Years Later
After a year and a half of investigations by authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol, the family and friends of a car accident victim can hopefully find some sense of closure this week since the 27-year-old driver responsible for their loved one’s death was apprehended and booked into an Orange County jail on Monday.
Although it took nearly two years to gather enough evidence to bring in their primary suspect, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol operating within Orange County were finally able to arrest 27-year-old William Wigton yesterday for his alleged connection to a deadly DUI crash on State Road 50 that killed 51-year-old Imatz Roopnarine back in December 2020. According to detailed reports from the initial incident, Wigton was behind the wheel of a silver Ford Mustang driving in the eastbound direction of State Road 50 in Orange County. As he approached the highway’s intersection with South Tanner Road traveling approximately 150 MPH, he quickly reduced his speed for the upcoming traffic to around 119 MPH, but those efforts proved to be futile and he rear-ended a tan Jeep Wrangler in which Roopnarine was riding as a passenger.
Roopnarine did not survive the collision and the driver of the Jeep Wrangler was severely injured as well. Wigton was hospitalized after the crash occurred and officers recall a smell of alcohol and slurred speech resonating from the suspect, which led to them administering a routine blood/alcohol test. Wigton registered a result of 0.109.
In addition to the mangled Jeep Wrangler and Ford Mustang, two other vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, were damaged in the crash. No other injuries were reported.
After troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol issued an official arrest warrant, Wigton was taken into custody and booked into an Orange County jail on multiple charges including DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI with serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, DUI causing property damage, and reckless driving causing property damage.
Since 1977, Orange County personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has been dedicated to defending the rights of auto accident victims. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please submit a contact form on our website or call our office directly at 877-FL-INJURY to speak with a representative.
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.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.