Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Accident Critically Injures One Man

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on June 17, 2011

A Good Samaritan who witnessed a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in Pembroke Park that critically injured a man is outraged that someone could knowingly strike a rider and then flee the scene to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. John Roxey witnessed the accident, and he, along with another witness, trailed the hit-and-run driver, apprehended him and held him until police arrived. He wanted to make sure the driver was held responsible for his actions and did not get away with leaving the scene of an accident he caused.

Roxey and another witness followed the driver to Sheridan Street near 26th Avenue, and when the suspect’s car got stuck in traffic, they both took action to apprehend the man.

“I chased him. He got boxed in by a car. I yanked him out of the car, put him in a head lock and just held him in the concrete. His partner came around to try to help him, I kicked him and he got away, and then I just held the guy until the cops came,” he said.

The 42-year-old victim was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital for treatment and is listed in critical condition. A spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol said the accident occurred on Interstate 95 in the northbound lanes just south of the Pembroke Road exit in Pembroke Park. A FHP officer said the driver of a black Kia SUV struck the motorcyclist from behind and then fled the scene.

Florida Highway Patrol Sergeant Mark Wysocky was one of the first responders to the accident. “The black vehicle struck the back of the motorcycle and caused the motorcycle to go down,” he said. He also said that the driver was driving under influence of alcohol when he crashed into the motorcycle.

Upon witnessing the accident, Roxey was infuriated. “The cyclist went up in the air and then he rolled down the highway a few hundred feet,” he said.

The driver was arrested and faces charges of DUI, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The FHP said that the passenger in the Kia who also fled from the accident would not be charged in connection with the accident.

To say that the drunken driver acted negligently is a bit of an understatement. The man was driving while legally drunk, struck and critically injured a motorcyclist and then, instead of rendering assistance to the man he injured, fled the scene in order to avoid taking responsibility. If you’re a rider who has been injured by a negligent driver and you would like to speak with an Orlando personal injury lawyer, call James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000. When you schedule a free consultation with Mr. Cunningham, you get more than three decades of experience and a proven record of success helping injured people. Before you sign anything offered by the at-fault driver’s insurance company, contact an Orlando personal injury attorney who will work hard to help you receive the compensation you deserve. Call James O. Cunningham today. He’s 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.