Drunk Driving Accident

A Coral Gables man involved in a horrific drunk driving crash in Florida has been told that he can be released on $205,000 bond instead of the $1 million bond he was initially held on, a Miami-Dade judge ruled.

The 38 year-old man has been charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in the death of a 13-year-old girl who was killed when the 2010 Range Rover he was driving plowed into the minivan she was a passenger in.

Miami-Dade police say that the accused was clocked going 100 mph on the southbound U.S. 1 bus lane when he hit the minivan that the young victim’s family was traveling in. The crash was so violent that it tore the minivan in two. The accused allegedly kept driving as long as he could and then tried to flee his mangled vehicle on foot.

After his arrest, the driver was held on a $1 million bond. Although the $205,000 bond is much lower, it still represents a fourfold increase in the standard bond for these charges, which is $45,000. The decision was not a popular one among the hundreds of family supporters who crowded the hallway outside of the courtroom and who wanted the driver kept behind bars.

The Miami Herald reported that the judge offered condolences to the gathered family members, but also told them, “This is not a popularity contest based on the numbers of people you can turn out to court. In this courtroom we follow the law.”

The Florida car accident attorneys at Farah & Farah also offer condolences to the family who lost their child in this horrible DUI accident. When a motorist injures or kills somebody due to a negligent and irresponsible act, they should be held liable for their actions. Call us at (800) 533-3555 and we will work tirelessly to see that justice is done for you.

The two partners work as a team that tours Florida high schools to speak out against the dangers of drunk driving.

One member of the team is a mother who lost her 20-year-old daughter when a drunk driver lost control of his car after leaving a bar in Pensacola. Her daughter and a friend were killed instantly when the then 24-year-old drunk driver smashed into her car in 2002.

The other partner is the man who killed them.

He’s 33 now and has spent nearly a decade behind bars serving his DUI manslaughter sentence. He’s still in prison, but will be released in November.

It was in April of 2010 when the mother asked the prisoner to join her in what was perceived as a confusing and unlikely partnership. The prison granted permission for him to attend the presentations and the two have been teaming up to dissuade students from drinking and driving ever since.

Although some people still don’t understand it, the two look at the partnership as a way to heal and as a means to warn youngsters of the potential lethal outcome of drunk driving and the shattered lives it leaves behind.

At a recent presentation to juniors and seniors at Barron Collier High School in Naples, Smallridge, dressed in his grey and white prison jumpsuit, pointing to himself as the ultimate object lesson for what they don’t want. “Make it a point in your life not to be this guy. Don’t reduce your life to shackles and chains,” he told them.

After the talk, one of the students told Naplesnews.com, “It opened my eyes.”

Drunk driving can devastate so many lives. The Tallahassee drunk driving crash attorneys at Farah & Farah admire any program aimed at preventing potentially lethal drunk driving accidents on Florida’s roads and highways.

A woman with three times the legal blood alcohol limit in her system was arrested for a hit and run accident in Siesta Key which damaged another vehicle and injured a pedestrian.

Initially, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers had pulled over the blue Honda Accord the accused was driving because it had been swerving all over the road. But, troopers noticed that the front of the vehicle was smashed and put two and two together, linking the damage to her car with a hit-and-run crash in Florida that had been reported earlier.

In that accident, the alleged drunk motorist ran into a gold Honda at the intersection of Stickney Point and Midnight Pass Road, kept going, and then struck a pedestrian on the sidewalk as she turned onto Midnight Pass Road.

The pedestrian was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and later released.

Results of the breath tests taken at the stop revealed blood alcohol levels of .292 and .295. The legal limit for a person driving in Florida is .08. The woman was booked on several charges, including DUI, leaving the scene of an injury accident, and driving with a blood level alcohol level greater than .15.

This is the second DUI case in Siesta Key this year involving a pedestrian. In January of 2012, a driver who had been drinking at the beach struck and killed a jogger.

An Epidemic on Florida’s Roads

According to Florida’s Chapter of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Florida ranked 13th in the nation in DUI related fatalities in 2010. There were 108,853 3-time DUI offenders and 13,054 5-time offenders in the state at that time.

If you are injured in an accident in Florida involving an impaired, careless or negligent driver, you have the right to seek compensation for injuries and damages. Please call a Florida drunk driving accident lawyer at (800) 533-3555 for a free, no-obligation consultation concerning your accident today.

After some contentious wrangling between defense attorneys and prosecutors, a jury was finally seated for the trial of Polo Club International’s founder, who was charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter after a Feb 12, 2012 automobile accident claimed the life of a 23-year-old man.

Prosecutors say that the accused was driving his Bentley convertible on 120th Avenue in Wellington when he ran a stop sign at Lake Worth Road and smashed into a Hyundai driven by the 23-year-old victim who was returning home from a visit with his family in Orlando. The impact flipped the Hyundai upside down into a canal and the driver drowned.

Prosecutors contend that the driver of the Bentley never stopped to render aid and fled the scene of the accident. Allegedly, the accused first stopped at a nearby trailer and called his girlfriend in Atlanta before calling 911 to report the fatal accident — an hour after it had already been called in by another person at the scene. Authorities said the accused had a blood-alcohol level of 1.77 three hours after the accident — more than twice the legal limit to drive.

The Polo Club International founder made national headlines after the accident when he adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend, making her the beneficiary of a $300 million trust for his two minor children.

The trial is expected to take five days. The parents of the victim have filed a wrongful-death suit, and the civil trial is scheduled to take place after this one is over.

Seeking compensation for injuries and damages after an automobile accident can be a complicated affair — especially when a defendant has vast resources at their disposal. The Orlando auto accident attorneys at Farah & Farah even the playing field by making a pledge that we don’t collect a fee until you win your case. Call us for a no-obligation consultation at (800) 533-3555. We have the years of experience you need to obtain a successful case result.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-john-goodman-criminal-trial-day3-20120308,0,7780332.story

Flaglerlive.com reports three people were hurt in a crash on the night of December 2 on Belle Terre Boulevard just south of State Road 100. A Toyota Corolla was northbound on Belle Terre with a 44-year-old driver at the wheel along with a 24-year-old passenger. A witness tells the news source that he was also northbound when the two in the Corolla passed him going 70 or 80 mph into oncoming traffic. He got over in time to avoid striking the first car but then ran off the shoulder on the right and failed to negotiate a curve. The Corolla driver over-corrected and smashed head-on into a southbound Saturn SUV driven by a 45-year-old woman from Palm Coast.

The report says she was not speeding. The woman was seen coming out of the woods yelling for help after leaving her car following the crash. The Corolla driver left the scene. The sheriff’s deputy from Flagler County who apprehended the Corolla driver reported he “reeked of alcohol” and there were beer bottles in the Toyota. Charges are pending.

The woman was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler and the Corolla passenger was airlifted to a hospital. He was reportedly not wearing a seat belt and was bleeding from the head. Our condolences and best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to all involved in this Florida drunk driving accident.

The Florida auto accident attorneys at Farah & Farah understand that since the curve in the road on Belle Terre south of State Road 100 is known to be the scene of other crashes, the county may consider how it can improve this roadway. Paramedics noticed that the integrity of the Saturn’s interior was barely dented and a picture of the car after the crash showed how it protected the woman.

For more information on how Farah & Farah can help you in your injury accident, call (800) 533-3555 today.

Source: http://flaglerlive.com/31740/head-on-crash-hurts-3-and-closes-belle-terre-south-of-sr100-driver-likely-drunk/comment-page-1

A Clay County man will be spending the next 10 years in prison for a drunk driving crash that killed his 21-year-old passenger. On March 6, the 25-year-old from Middleburg was driving in the 7900 block of Old Kings Road when he crashed into a cement wall. The Florida Times-Union, quoting the arrest report, says a blood-alcohol test was taken immediately following the crash and the driver had a 0.185 percent blood-alcohol level. The legal limit for intoxication is 0.08.

Initially the driver had pled not guilty but last week he changed his plea, admitting guilt and in return receiving a reduced sentence. He could have received up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of DUI manslaughter.

Our condolences go out to everyone involved in this preventable crash. Two young lives and their loved ones will never be the same after one unwise decision to drink and drive.

In addition, if the driver has any other DUI convictions, he can permanently lose his ability to have a driver’s license in Florida. Even with no prior DUI convictions, the driver may have to wait five years to have his license reinstated.

The Florida drunk driving accident injury lawyers at Farah & Farah suggest you designate a driver who will not drink if you plan to partake, or call a cab to get a ride home. These decisions need to be made prior to going out and consuming alcohol as one is not able to make those rational decisions after a few drinks or more. Just thinking ahead and sticking to a plan could save a life, including your own.

Source: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-11-25/story/middleburg-man-sentenced-10-years-drunken-crash-killed-passenger

The 49-year-old driver of a van that hit and killed a 29-year-old man in Starke, Florida earlier this year was sentenced November 14 to 15 years in state prison. The drunk driving accident occurred when the driver from Florala, Florida was eastbound on State Road 100 in Bradford County during the morning hours of February 4. As he approached the Hope Baptist Church, he hit an AT&T technician who was working on the shoulder of the road at the base of a utility pole. The van continued on to hit a parked car, causing the van to spin and roll onto its passenger side.

The technician was taken to Shands Medical Center in Gainesville where he died. The driver was seriously injured and pleaded no contest to charges of DUI manslaughter. Channel 4 in Jacksonville did not say what his blood-alcohol level was at the time of the crash, but he did have a prior arrest record for driving under the influence.

Drunk Drivers

With about 15 million licensed drivers in Florida, it is very likely that some of the motorists on the road are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, either prescription or illegal. That makes it very likely that at some point you may be involved in a collision with an impaired driver.

The Gainesville auto accident lawyers at Farah & Farah have talked to hundreds of people in our offices who have been involved in such tragedies. We try to help them navigate their astronomical medical bills, the cost of rehabilitation, and lost wages. That’s the least we can do to help people whose lives have been shattered due to the negligence and recklessness of another person.

Source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/Driver-sentenced-in-DUI-manslaughter-case/-/475880/4743578/-/i5heiz/-/index.html

A Florida Panhandle man who pled no contest last month to DUI manslaughter charges has been sentenced to spend 13 years in prison for a crash that killed two people. A Walton County judge sentenced him on Thursday, May 19. In February 2010, the 21-year-old was reported to be driving while intoxicated and chased by deputies when he lost control of his vehicle on a curve and hit a tree after exiting U.S. Highway 90. Two passengers in his vehicle were killed in the February 2010 crash, including a woman pregnant with his child, according to The Panama City News-Herald.

At the time, the man’s blood alcohol was 0.24 percent, three times the level for impairment, which is 0.08 percent. Deputies were giving chase because his Saturn did not have its headlights on at 2:37 a.m.

A drunken driving conviction can have lasting consequences. You can lose the right to drive and have a criminal record that affects your present and future employment as well as personal freedoms. Not only alcohol but prescription medication, illegal drugs, and even over-the-counter medication can all impact your level of impairment behind the wheel. The Florida Highway Patrol reports at least one-third of traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.

If you or a loved one have been injured by an impaired driver, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering as well as property damage and the loss of employment. The Florida drunk driving accident lawyers at Farah & Farah encourage you to contact an experienced Florida law firm that will advocate for you in your time of need.

A woman from Cocoa, Florida, was arrested on Saturday, February 26, for allegedly causing a car crash in Brevard County last November that killed a woman and seriously injured two of her children, according to a report in The Orlando Sentinel. The paper reports the 24-year-old was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury, and DUI with property damage. The article doesn’t say why there was a three month delay in arresting the suspect.

The crash occurred on November 24, 2010 when the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reports that the young woman’s 1999 Ford Taurus struck the rear of a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero going at a “high rate of speed” near the intersection of Canaveral Groves Boulevard and Grissom Parkway. The 48-year-old woman and children in the Mitsubishi were ejected from the vehicle, seriously injuring the two children, who have survived. The woman arrested had her blood alcohol test taken at the scene and it was reported to be .227, nearly three times the legal limit (0.08 percent).

Our sincere condolences are extended to the family of the collision victim for her sudden passing.

Alcohol-Related Car Accidents in Florida
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 554 alcohol-related traffic crashes in Brevard County in 2009, among the 4,750 auto accidents in the county. That led to 54 fatalities in 2009 in Brevard County, the last year for which statistics are available.

It is illegal for Florida motorists to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The limit for blood alcohol content is 0.08 percent. If it is determined that this young woman was driving under the influence at the time of the fatal crash, the family of the deceased woman can file a personal injury claim that holds the driver responsible both criminally and civilly.

An experienced Florida car accident lawyer can help guide the family through the sometimes complex legal process to seek justice. The first step starts with a call to our offices at 1-800-533-3555.

In Hudson, a man who was out on bail for a DUI that resulted in the death of a New Hampshire woman three years ago was charged with driving under the influence again in Pasco County on Thursday, December 16 reports TampaBay.com.

The 39-year-old man was northbound on U.S. 19 near Little Road when a deputy pulled him over for a problem front tire that was making a noise. The man didn’t know where he was or what time it was. He told the officer he had taken the prescription drug, Roxicodone, a generic oxycodone product, and was again charged with DUI. Five hours later, he was released from a Pasco County jail.

The mother of the woman who was killed in the Florida drunk driving accident in February 2008 states that the man should be in prison and that the family has had no closure to her daughter’s death since she was hit head-on by the man who crossed a concrete median on Little Road and hit her SUV. He was charged with vehicular homicide, although no trial date has been set. The man was seriously injured.

“I couldn’t ask for a better daughter,” the mother said to the paper, reminding readers her daughter was also the mother of two young girls.

Out condolences go out to this woman who has not yet had her day in court. How unresolved the situation must feel.

Drunk Driving Accidents in Florida
In Florida in 2009, 1,004 individuals died in fatal alcohol-related accidents, down 14 percent from 2008, when there were 1,169 deaths.

Section 316.193 of the Florida Statutes mandates that an ignition interlock device be put on the vehicle of someone convicted of DUI. For a first offense, it would be at the discretion of the judge, however, if it is a first conviction and the driver registered a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher, or if they had a minor in the car, they would be required to have an ignition interlock device put on for at least six months. Four or more convictions would require the device be put on for five years. The device prevents the start of a vehicle if the breath sample is above 0.05 percent.

The Florida car crash lawyers at Farah & Farah are experienced in handling accidents that involve a drunk driver and will offer a free consultation to help you retain your rights and seek compensation for your injuries and any losses you suffered in a car accident in Florida.