It can take a liftime to become an experienced driver. Each new generation of drivers think they are the best, most talented, and can drive like the stuntmen seen in movies and on television. Those characteristics are a bad combination when mixed with alcohol, drugs, and a high-performance vehicle. In fact, they can be deadly.
That’s exactly what happened in Okeechobee when an 18-year-old Okeechobee man was charged with driving under the influence causing death to a human and vehicular manslaughter in November, according to media reports.
Florida Highway Patrol says Nathaniel Aaron Doctor was traveling on SW Fifth Avenue in Okeechobee on August 15, 2014 at a high rate of speed in a 2014 Audi SQ 5. Doctor lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle slid off the right side of the road. Doctor counter-corrected and tried to regain control of the vehicle, but he was unsuccessful. The vehicle hit a large tree, a metal mailbox, and a power pole.
The vehicle overturned and the passenger was ejected. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Doctor and two other passengers in the vehicle were not seriously injured.
During an investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol determined that the vehicle was traveling at 91 m.p.h. when the accident occurred.
Doctor was transported to Raulerson Hospital and blood was drawn. Doctor’s blood alcohol level was 0.123, well above the legal limit of 0.8. He also tested positive for marijuana. Prosecutors believe the presence of alcohol and marijuana in Doctor’s system contributed to the accident.
In Florida, vehicular homicide is defined as “the killing of a human being, or the killing of an unborn child by any injury to the mother, caused by the operation of a motor vehicle by another in a reckless manner likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to, another.”
As a result of Doctor’s reckless act, two parents had to bury their daughter. They won’t see her grow old, get married and have children and a young man must live with the consequences of driving too fast while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that was caused by a drunk driver, contact James O. Cunningham immediately at 386-243-4994 for a free initial consultation.
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.
Verdicts & Settlements
- Rear End Car Accident:
$3.75 Million Recovery - Semi-Truck Accident:
$1.5 Million Recovery - Van Rollover:
$1.2 Million Wrongful Death Recovery - Rear End Bus Accident:
$775,000.00 Recovery - Truck Collides with Cow:
$500,000.00 Recovery