Police Officer Injured in DUI Hit-and-Run Crash

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 21, 2013

A St. Cloud Police officer is recovering from injuries he suffered when a suspected drunken driver struck his patrol car and then fled the scene of the accident. Investigators report that the officer’s car was struck around 10:45 p.m. near Old Canoe Creek and Neptune Roads in Osceola County. They say that the injured officer was conducting a normal patrol when his car was struck by a 49-year-old man, address unknown, who also suffered injuries in the hit-and-run accident. He was arrested shortly after the incident and now faces charges of DUI with serious bodily injuring, DUI with property damage and aggravated fleeing and eluding. He in being treated for undisclosed injuries at an area hospital and will be taken to the Osceola County Jail on release from the hospital. The injured officer was treated for minor injuries and released from a local hospital.

There were an astonishing 70,000 hit-and-run accidents in Florida in 2012. These accidents claimed at least 168 lives and injured many thousands of Floridians who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when a reckless, negligent driver struck them or their vehicle and then fled from the scene to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. Approximately two-thirds of these hit-and-run accident fatalities were pedestrians.

The Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police of Chiefs Association and the Florida Department of Transportation are taking a more aggressive stance to combat hit-and-run drivers by instituting a new program called Hit & Run, Bad to Worse. The new program’s mission is to reduce hit-and-run accidents in Florida by educating drivers about their responsibilities if they are involved in an accident.

FHP Director Col. David Brierton recently noted in a press release that, “Hit-and-run crashes are a growing problem in Florida. Florida had nearly 70,000 hit-and-run crashes last year. We hope the education awareness campaign and our partnerships with Florida law enforcement agencies and FDOT will help us meet our mission goals of traffic safety.”

Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham and other hit-and-run accident lawyers would like to remind all Floridians that Florida law states that a driver involved in an accident must immediately stop and remain at the scene, must exchange information and render reasonable assistance to any injured persons or face stiff criminal penalties. If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident and would like to learn more about the law, your rights and your legal options, call 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) today and schedule a free consultation with Mr. Cunningham. He has successfully represented injured clients since 1977 and personally handles each aspect of his clients’ cases to ensure the best possible outcome.

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.