Man Punches Car After Causing Rear-End Accident in Delray Beach

Police say that a Pompano Beach man took the unusual step of punching a woman’s car after causing a rear-end accident with his pickup truck recently. Officers report that the 50-year-old man rear-ended the woman’s car after it had stopped at a red light in Delray Beach. The man drove off in his Dodge Ram pickup truck after the accident, prompting the lady to follow him into a parking lot, where she confronted the man. After a brief but heated exchange, the man began punching the rear window of the woman’s car before driving off again.

Investigating officers report that the incident began around 5:40 p.m. one recent afternoon. They say that the woman and her daughter were traveling on South Federal Highway when they stopped for a red light at the intersection with East Linton Boulevard. That is when their vehicle was rear-ended by the pickup truck driven by the suspect, who collided with the car and drove off without stopping. The woman then followed the man to a parking lot in the 1400 block of South Federal Highway. When the woman yelled at the man to stop, he stopped his truck, got out and began punching the woman’s car. He then jumped back into his truck and drove off, but the woman was able to write down his license plate number before she contacted police.

When police arrived, they interviewed the woman and her daughter, who both complained of neck and back pain. Both were taken to Bethesda Memorial Hospital, where they received treatment, and technicians took head, neck and back x-rays. It took little time for officers to track down the name and address of the driver of the pickup. Deputies from the Broward Sheriff’s Office tried to contact him but were unable to reach him. The next day, an officer with the Delray Beach Police Department reached the man by phone. When asked why he left the scene of an accident, the man said that the accident was "very minor, so he left the scene after a verbal dispute with the other driver."

The man was arrested by Delray Beach police two days later and is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail on a felony hit-and-run charge.

Occupants of a vehicle struck from behind in a rear-end accident often struggle with head, neck and back injuries. Sometimes, these injuries are quite serious and require weeks of hospitalization, physical therapy and other treatment, which are not always effective. In some cases, victims experience chronic, debilitating pain that prevents them from working, providing for themselves and their families and enjoying favorite activities. As you might guess, this severely restricts their independence and quality of life.

If you or a member of your immediate family have been injured in a rear-end accident, you should contact experienced Orlando rear-end accident lawyer James O. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham has more than 36 years of experience as an Orlando personal injury attorney and has helped countless car accident victims receive the compensation they need to pay medical expenses, replace lost income and other damages. If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Mr. Cunningham, call him today at 888-FLA-AUTO (888-352-2886).

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.