Florida Highway Patrol Officer Struck by Car in Hit and Run Accident in Hollywood
On Saturday, May 25, 2019, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was struck by a car in a hit and run crash on Florida’s turnpike near Hollywood Boulevard around 3:30 p.m. A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol says the officer was outside of his patrol car at the time of the accident. The driver is reported to be driving a white BMW 6 Series with a temporary tag. The driver did not stop to help the trooper and instead left the turnpike off the Hollywood Boulevard exit and did not stop to help the trooper. Emergency responders arrived on the scene to tend to the trooper and transported him to a nearby hospital. The crash is still under active investigation. In Florida, anyone driving a vehicle involved in a crash is legally required to stop at the scene of an accident and provide the following information to the other driver or anyone else involved. You must provide this information whether the other person is a passenger, pedestrian or cyclist.
Consequences for Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Injury or Death
In Florida, the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash occurring on public or private property which results in injury or death to another person, must immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash, or as close thereto as possible, and must remain at the scene of the crash until such person has fulfilled his or her duty to give information and render aid. Serious bodily injury under the law, means an injury to a person, including the driver, which consists of a physical condition that creates a substantial risk of death, serious personal disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ. A willful failure to stop when required is a crime and subjects the violator to criminal penalties as specified by Florida law. One of the main purposes that Florida law criminalizes a driver’s failure to stop, render aid, and provide certain information for an insurance claim and accident report whenever there is the injury is to ensure that accident victims receive medical assistance as soon as possible. Any person who willfully violates this statute commits a felony of the first degree. Furthermore, any person who willfully violates this statute while driving under the influence under Florida law must be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of four years.
Duties to Provide Information and Assistance Following a Crash
Generally, the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury or death must stop and give his or her name, address, and vehicle registration number to any injured person and to any police officer at the scene of the crash and must also upon request and if available exhibit to such person his or her license or permit to drive. In the event that none of the persons specified are in a condition to receive the information to which they otherwise would be entitled, the driver must report the crash to the nearest office of a duly authorized police authority. The driver must also provide reasonable assistance to anyone who is injured in the crash, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that some such treatment is necessary or if such carrying is requested by the injured person. If a driver is involved in a crash that causes serious bodily injury to another person, they must stay at the scene of the crash until they have fulfilled the above requirements. While, by itself, violation of the statute governing the duty to give information and render aid is a noncriminal traffic infraction, such violation is also an element of the offense defined by the hit- and-run-statute such that one who fails to remain at the scene of the crash until he or she has fulfilled the foregoing requirements is guilty of a felony of the first, second, or third degree depending on whether the accident results in death, property damage, or personal injury.
Compensation for Victims of Hit and Run Crimes
Florida law provides that certain victims of felony crimes (i.e. DUI with bodily injury, hit and run, etc.) may be eligible to obtain certification from the attorney general as a “crime victim.” The state provides a victim restitution fund for “crime victims” and certifies eligible persons as “crime victims.” While certification does not necessarily entitle the applicant to recovery under the victim compensation fund it does allow the “crime victim” to present the certificate to the appropriate P.I.P. insurer and obtain a waiver of any applicable co-payment and deductible. Crime victim compensation instructions and applications can be found online at myfloridalegal.com under the category “victims services” subheading “resources.”
Although fleeing the scene of an accident is a criminal offense in Florida, drivers nevertheless will sometimes panic and flee. At Suarez & Montero Car Accident Lawyers, our clients know they can trust our team of highly experienced and well-informed car accident attorneys to deliver the type of aggressive legal representation needed to take on insurance companies. We have experience representing those who have been injured in a variety of motor vehicle and truck accidents, including hit-and-run accidents where the driver at fault fled the scene of the accident after causing injuries and/or property damage to an innocent third party. Therefore, if you or a loved one have been injured by a driver who fled the scene of an accident in Florida, please call us today for a free consultation!
We serve clients throughout Florida including those in the following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
