A couple married in Tallahassee last April was killed and their eight-year-old daughter orphaned in a drunk driving auto accident recently. As recounted in this Tallahassee Democrat article, the Havana couple wed at the Tallahassee Moose Lodge last spring after being together for more than ten years and having a daughter. On the evening of October 9, 2009, the couple was driving to the mother’s house to drop off their daughter at her grandparent’s to spend the night. As the couple waited to merge into traffic on the way, a drunk driver crashed his Dodge pickup truck into the back of their two-door Pontiac.
The 30-year-old father and 26-year-old mother were pronounced dead after transportation to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. The daughter was reportedly riding in the back seat of the car when struck by the drunk driver and was unhurt in the accident. A sergeant on the Florida Highway Patrol said the 62-year-old driver of the truck was clearly intoxicated at the accident scene and was arrested on two counts of DUI manslaughter. The drunk driver reportedly bonded out of the Gadsden County Jail the day after the accident.
“Because someone made a bad choice that child is now without her parents,” he said. “Who knows, that man might be a good person, but he made a bad choice.”
It’s clear that many Florida drivers make bad choices. Florida is third in the nation every year for people injured and killed in drunk driving accidents. Despite tougher laws and criminal penalties, publicity campaigns, and increased public awareness, people still get behind the wheel after drinking. This negligent behavior puts other drivers and passengers at risk and can lead to tragedies like this DUI manslaughter case.
If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, call Orlando drunk driving accident attorney James O. Cunningham today to schedule a free consultation about your case. He serves clients from his law offices throughout Central Florida.
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.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle accident, call toll-free at 1-888-FLA-Auto (1-888-352-2886).
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