A woman from Tampa was arrested and charged with a DUI on the day before Christmas Eve in Hillsborough County. Reports from the Florida Highway Patrol state that the drunk driver accident began shortly after 2:30 in the morning, as a couple were traveling within a 2009 Kia Spectra down an inside southern lane of North Florida Avenue. The report did not state where the two individuals were coming from, but based on the breathalyzer results it seems safe to say that wherever it was had plenty of alcohol to offer.
As the Kia Spectra was nearing the intersection of North Florida Avenue and West Country Club Drive, the driver lost control of the vehicle. Unable to regain control, the car then left the roadway and began careening over the sidewalk, coming to a stop only after crashing into a pedestrian crosswalk sign, a wall made of poured concrete, and a handrail that exists to aid pedestrians as they wait to cross the road.
It is not known who called the emergency response crews to report the crash, but we do know that police and paramedics were at the scene shortly after the event itself took place. For the paramedics, the most energy was spent tending to the 30-year-old passenger of the Kia. This person, a Zephyrhills resident, was reportedly in critical condition when he was taken to Tampa General Hospital for advanced medical treatment. The driver of the car, a 26-year-old Tampa resident, was also taken to Tampa General Hospital, although it is believed that the injuries sustained by this individual were minor and not life threatening.
In the aftermath of the crash, an investigation spearheaded by the Florida Highway Patrol determined that the driver of the car was to be handed numerous charges, including DUI-Serious Injury, DUI-Property Damage, and No Valid Driver’s License.
The BAC of the driver was not included in the initial report, but based on the two DUI charges it seems certain that the Florida Highway Patrol possess evidence of the driver’s intoxicated state at the time of the collision and subsequent severe injury of the Kia’s passenger.
Sources:
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 at (386) 243-4994.
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