Orange County Man Leaves Wallet at Scene of Hit-and-Run Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 16, 2015

The old saying goes that criminals are often not the smartest people in the world. They make dumb mistakes that lead to their capture and arrest. That was the case for a man who was involved in a hit and run.

On April 4, 25-year-old Russell Lamar Roberts was driving in the wrong direction. He was traveling southbound on the northbound lane of State Road 417 in Orange County in a black Chevrolet. Roberts approached a tollbooth from the wrong direction and decided to run through the gate. After going through the tollbooth in the wrong direction, Roberts hit a white Mazda. That accident caused a chain reaction, and two other vehicles were damaged.

The accident heavily damaged Roberts’ vehicle. He exited the vehicle and attempted to flee. A witness tried to stop Roberts from leaving the scene, but he was able to escape. He jumped and fence and fled the area.

When Florida Highway Patrol arrived at the scene, they investigated the accident. The searched Roberts’ vehicle and discovered that he had left a wallet on the seat of the vehicle. In his haste to leave the scene, he had missed the fact that his identification was sitting in the vehicle that he used to cause the car accident.

Using the identification, troopers were able to locate Roberts a while later. He was found "on the floor and lying in his own blood," according to several media reports. He was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he was treated. Deputies questioned Reports about the accident. According to his statements, Roberts did not recall why he was driving the wrong way down the highway or why he fled the scene of the accident.

Roberts was charged with driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of a crash. He was booked into the Orange County Jail. It doesn’t appear that Roberts was under the influence for drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. The incident is still under investigation.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida automobile accident, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. immediately at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.

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.