DUI Charge for Individual Who Rear-Ended Police Vehicle in Palm Bay

A police officer with the Palm Bay Police Department was sitting at a red light while on duty within the city of Palm Bay during the evening of Tuesday, February 16^th, when their car was struck from behind by another vehicle. The officer, believed to be on routine patrol, had stopped at the light and was waiting for the red to change to green so that he could clear the intersection when the second vehicle, a grey sedan, approached from behind. The driver of the sedan failed to stop their vehicle before reaching the intersection, and as a result they collided with the rear of the patrol vehicle.

It is believed that the grey sedan was not traveling at a very high rate of speed when it struck the police officer’s car. In the report, the officer involved described feeling the collision, but the force of the impact did not result in any individual suffering from injuries, and the officer involved was able to exit their car immediately after the crash.

They approached the grey sedan and began to interact with the individual within the car. This person, a 32-year-old, immediately presented as being in an unfit condition to operate a vehicle. According to the reports, the 32-year-old’s speech was slurred and difficult to understand. Additionally, this person smelled strongly of alcohol, had eyes shot through with blood, and an unusually flushed face. The driver of the sedan also appeared to be extremely confused throughout the interaction.

On the floor of the vehicle, sitting just before the driver’s seat, was an open can of Natural Ice.

The driver, who was alone in the sedan at the time, told the officer that he would not undergo a field sobriety test. They also told the officer that they would not take a breathalyzer test. Finally, the driver of the sedan informed the officer that they did not understand their rights and refused to communicate much further. At some point during this interaction and the subsequent arrest, the 32-year-old peed their pants.

At the time of this writing, they are being charged with a DUI. Neither the 32-year-old nor the police officer were injured as a result of the collision.

Sources:

• Drunk driver crashes into back of Palm Bay patrol car, police say

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.