Mom Arrested on DUI and Child Neglect in Flagler Beach

A sad and frightening series of events unfolded around 11:00 on Tuesday evening in Flagler Beach that resulted in the arrest of a 44-year-old woman who was subsequently charging with child neglect as well and a DUI while holding previous convictions for DUIs.

The report from the Flagler Beach Police Department indicates that the circumstances which led to the arrest of the woman began when the driver of a truck on North 8th Street saw a 2013 BMW parked on the side of the A1A. The driver of the truck watched a teenage girl exit the driver side of the car and get in the back while a woman, who appeared to be intoxicated, left the back and entered the driver side. The car then started up and turned on to North 8th Street.

The driver of the truck, wanting to ensure the safety of the teenage girl, began to follow the BMW. As the BMW drew close to Daytona Avenue, it slowed down. One of the doors of the BMW opened and a different teenage girl from the first jumped from the still moving vehicle. The truck stopped and a woman exited from the passenger side to help the girl who was sobbing and clearly distraught. The driver of the truck continued to follow the BMW.

On the side of the road, the girl told the woman that the driver of the BMW was highly intoxicated and that her friend was still trapped in the car. While the woman from the truck tried to calm the girl the first girl ran up to them. It seems that she also jumped from the vehicle while the driver, her mother, was momentarily stopped. At this point, police officers had arrived at the scene and were busy speaking to Sherrie Crane, the 44-year-old behind the wheel of the BMW. Piecing together her account and the account of her daughter, one of the two girls, it appears that Crane had consumed a few drinks and then instructed her daughter to drive the car. At some point, Crane decided that the girl was not doing a good enough job and ordered her to pull over. They then switched places in the vehicle (the scene that was witnessed by the individuals in the truck).

The first girl leapt from the BMW because she was terrified that Crane would cause an accident and kill her and her friend. Fortunately, due to the care of strangers and the quick work of the Flagler Beach Police Department, this did not happen.

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.