Orlando Man Accused of Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident Turns Himself In

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 2, 2011

An Orlando man accused of driving a vehicle that struck and killed a 15-year-old East Orange County boy in 2010 and then fled the scene of the accident is now in jail. The 30-year-old suspect turned himself in to Florida Highway Patrol troopers recently and faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, violating a restriction on a driver’s license and failing to stop at a hit-and-run accident involving the death of the teen in November 2010. If convicted on the hit-and-run charge, the man could receive 30 years in prison.

FHP spokesperson Sergeant Kim Montes reported that no one who may have seen the fatal hit-and-run accident has come forward, and this has prevented officers from charging the man with a more serious charge. “No one witnessed this accident,” she said. “Based on the evidence and reconstruction of the crime scene, it does not rise to vehicular homicide.”

In order to seek vehicular murder charges, accident investigators have to prove criminal intent but have yet to discover evidence of this. Troopers also stated that they want to charge the man with driving under the influence due to his girlfriend’s admission that he was intoxicated before the accident occurred. Toxicology tests conducted some time after the accident showed no alcohol in the man’s system, but investigators stated that if alcohol had been present, it would have metabolized out by the time a blood sample was taken. However, the tests did find that the man had a prescription medication called Clonazepam in his blood. Clonazepam is a muscle relaxant often prescribed for anxiety disorders and epilepsy. Investigators had not yet ascertained whether the man had a prescription for the drug.

Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham has been following this case very closely since last November when this fatal hit-and-run accident occurred. He would like to remind readers that it is everyone’s responsibility to report hit-and-run accidents as quickly as possible after the accident has occurred. The victim’s life may depend on it. If you or a close family member has been struck and injured by a hit-and-run driver and you want to learn more about your legal options, call Mr. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation. Call today to get an experienced and aggressive Orlando personal injury lawyer on your side!

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.