Osceola County Dispatcher Given DUI After Crashing into Ditch

An individual deployed as an emergency response dispatcher for the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office made a few unfortunate decisions while saddened over some pictures he saw on social media of his ex-wife. According to reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the dispatcher had seen the pictures at some point during the day on Tuesday, July 2nd. The dispatcher told the officers that he had Googled his ex-wife’s name and that this search took him to her Instagram page. On this page were pictures of his ex-wife with another man, and after seeing these pictures the dispatcher became very sad.

He reportedly called a friend and this friend told the dispatcher to come over to his house. There, the friend suggested that the two of them talk about relationship issues while drinking some whiskey. This pastime is hardly uncommon amongst individuals suffering in the aftermath of a breakup, and the only regrettable incident linked to this ordeal is that after consuming an unclear amount of alcohol the dispatcher decided to go home, climbed into his vehicle, and drove away down the road.

It was when the man was only several minutes away from his house that another car drove him off of the roadway, forcing the dispatcher’s car into a ditch. It is not clear who called 9-1-1, but soon there were emergency response vehicles at the scene. Ostensibly, they were there to assist the man in his crashed car, but while they were at the location one of the deputies decided to have the man undergo a breath test after smelling alcohol on the man. The subsequent test revealed the man as having a BAC of 0.14, .06 points above the legal limit.

For the deputies, this was more than enough reason to arrest the man and he was taken from the crash site to the Polk County Jail. It is not clear how long the man remained at the jail, but he did eventually place bond and leave the detention center. At the time of this writing it is not clear if any charges other than a DUI will be handed to the man.

It is also not clear if any investigation is underway to identify the individual who ran the dispatcher off of the road.

Sources:

• Dispatcher upset about ex’s photos on Instagram drives drunk, deputies 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.