Possible Hit-and-Run Under Investigation in Orange County

Members of the Florida Highway Patrol are among those investigating an incident that may or may not be a hit-and-run accident that happened on Wednesday, August 8th, along Old Cheney Highway in Orange County. Reports relating to the incident suggest that the Florida Highway Patrol first became involved in the incident after they were alerted by an unknown person regarding the presence of a man suffering from an apparent overdose along the side of the road.

When the emergency response crews arrived at the location of the incident, they found that the person in question, a 36-year-old, was prone in deep grass located close to the intersection of Moselle Avenue and Old Cheney Highway. It was just before 9:30 when the emergency response crews reached the area, although it is not clear how long the person was lying on the ground before they were discovered.

After determining that the person was indeed suffering from an overdose, the first responders gave them a dose of Narcan. Then the person was taken from the area and to the nearby Winter Park Hospital. Some time after entering the hospital, the individual in question died.

On Thursday, the day after the individual was discovered, a medical examiner told the authorities that the person in question had suffered from a series of injuries that suggested that, in addition to the overdose, they had been struck by a car or other motorized vehicle. The extent of these injuries was also enough to lead the examiner to posit the possibility that the person died not as a result of the overdose but from the injuries sustained when their body came into contact with the vehicle.

After receiving this news, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol returned to the location in order to search for possible evidence of a collision between a car and an individual. While their visit yielded no tangible proof of a car striking the individual, the investigators have yet to positively rule out an impact between the deceased man and a car.

An investigation into the incident continues, and authorities are strongly encouraging anyone with information to report this information to the appropriate authorities via the Crimeline or the Florida Highway Patrol directly.

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.