Sunbather’s Arm and Hand Run Over By Beach Patrol Officer

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 12, 2011

A Volusia Beach Patrol officer making a U-turn while on patrol recently ran over and injured a woman’s arm and hand. Florida Highway Patrol and Volusia officials investigating the incident say it happened on the morning of Friday, May 13. The victim, a 22-year-old Ohio woman who was visiting the area, initially refused an ambulance ride to the hospital, but later drove herself to Halifax Health Medical Center to receive treatment. The Beach Patrol officer was ticketed for careless driving.

Investigators say the officer was traveling north in the beach driving lanes around 10 a.m. near the Seabreeze Boulevard beach access when the accident occurred. Officers say the victim was sunbathing outside the designated traffic lanes and that the officer ran over her arm and hand when he made the U-turn. The officer involved in the incident has worked for Volusia County since 2008 and is expected to remain on duty during the investigation. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, and the county is not expected to take any disciplinary action until the investigation is complete. This is the first time an officer has hit a sunbather this year, but a woman was run over in a similar accident last year that resulted in very serious injuries. Beach driving is allowed on around 16 miles of Volusia County’s shoreline, but recent incidents, including two separate accidents last year in which two four-year-old children were struck and killed by drivers, have raised questions about the dangers of beach driving.

Over the last five years, at least 50 people have been struck and killed or injured in Florida beach driving accidents, which makes a very strong case for putting an end to allowing motorized vehicles on Florida beaches. James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury attorneys have been calling for an end to beach driving for many years and are hoping that common sense will finally prevail.

Millions of people flock to our state every year to lie on the beach and soak up the rays, and putting an end to beach driving makes sense from pretty much any perspective. If you are injured while sunbathing on the beach and want to speak with an Orlando personal injury lawyer with a proven record of success helping injured people, call Mr. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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.